Some of these guys are the best in their respective divisions while others are exciting young contenders on the precipice of great things.  Be that as it may, these are my favorite guys based on fighting style, unique abilities and personality. I expect all of these fighters to engage in important and exciting fights in 2009. These guys are all good for the sport and have what it takes to make 2009 an excellent year in boxing. And if each guy can have 2 or 3 outings in the new year it will be a good year indeed. Anyway, here is the list in no particular order.

 

 

Glen Johnson – This guy is 3 days shy of his 40^th birthday and is fighting better than he ever has. Johnson is a gentleman outside of the ring and a tough, brutal and skilled pressure fighter inside the ropes. He has a legitimate gripe that he manhandled ultra talented Chad Dawson earlier this year only to be given the shaft. Johnson is deserving of fights with the very best but he is avoided like a bad disease. Will Hopkins, Calzaghe and Dawson step up and give this guy a fight? I have a feeling they won’t.  Instead Johnson has to keep plying his craft against anyone he can find because that’s what he does – he fights. Up next is Daniel Judah in February.  And I don’t think Johnson will let this guy survive in this unnecessary rematch. 

 

Antonio Margarito – He has a chin of concrete and brings unrelenting pressure that breaks the wills of great fighters. Margarito’s coming out party came last summer in his thrilling win over excellent Miguel Cotto. Margarito toiled for years as a pro in and Southern California and has paid his dues. He engages in thrilling contests and is now in a position to get the best fights.  He is the best welterweight in the world and I think he’ll remain that way throughout 2009. However, I do expect Margarito to jump a weight class or 2 in the near future. Up next is Shane Mosley on January 24.

 

Librado Andrade – He’s not the most naturally talented fighter but he may be baddest man on two legs. Andrade seems impervious to punishment, has great stamina and can out-will anyone he fights. I felt he was robbed of a KO win over talented boxer Lucien Bute several moths ago when Andrade, who was behind on points, nailed Bute with seconds remaining in the 12^th round. But bad officiating allowed Bute to gain a decision win and retain his IBF super middleweight crown when he should have been deemed unfit to continue. This guy may have been born 30 years too late when 15 rounds was the championship distance.  Better yet, 100 years when men fought 100 round fights. No one could beat this guy at that distance. Also, Andrade has a terrific attitude and philosophy on life. And that counts for something in my book.

 

Manny Pacquiao – The humble Filipino warrior has beaten some of the best Mexican fighters of this generation and he capped things off in 2008 by embarrassing the much larger Golden Boy, Oscar de la Hoya, as a handpicked opponent in a brutal eight round drubbing. The talented southpaw buzzsaw has flourished under trainer Freddie Roach’s tutelage and he now sits alone atop the boxing world as boxing’s mythical pound for pound best fighter. Massive fights with Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather Jr. await.

 

Urbano Antillon – This unassuming almost shy lightweight is simply tearing up whoever is in front of him. He has looked excellent in the past year and I believe 2009 will be a breakout year for Antillon. He is an extremely brutal fighter that imposes his will on his opponents and breaks guys down with a  fury. He does catch a little a but he has a chin and deceptive reflexes – oh, and he’s deadly to the body. He’s ready for the best right now.

 

Chris Arreola – He’s a truly exciting Mexican American heavyweight that breathes several breaths of fresh air into the division. He brings an aggression and intensity that you just don’t see in with the heavyweights. Every fight Arreola has is a shootout and someone will be going down – and so far it’s been his opponents. Conditioning and work ethic remain a question but there is no question - he is a real fighter. I can’t see this guy enough. Is Wlad Klitschko next?

 

Alfredo Angulo – Cut from the mold of Margarito and Antillon, he has  excellent potential showdowns in the very near future as a Jr. Middleweight.  He takes on former champ Ricardo Mayorga in February. He’ll fight for a title before the end of 2009. Fellow contender James Kirkland will be in his future. That fight has to marinate just a little longer.

 

James Kirkland – He’s an undefeated Jr. Middleweight KO artist with fast hands a big punch and an unquenchable thirst for combat. He’s talented and has a fighters spirit. A match with fellow badass Alfredo Angulo in inevitable.

 

Chad Dawson - He’s a terrific talent with blazing hand speed. He’s young at 25 and has a bright future. I think he’ll fight anyone and wants to test himself. That said, I’m disappointed he’s taking on Tarver  again in a rematch of a fight that he won widely. But a contract is a contract – I believe there was a rematch clause. He does have unfinished business with Glen Johnson and Tavoris Cloud is a worthy challenger. I wouldn’t mind seeing him in with Hopkins or Calzaghe but that seems highly unlikely.

 

Mike Alvarado – This late bloomer with the wrestling background has proved to be a quick study. He’s been banging out some very tough vets and former champs in his last several fights and is already a force to be reckoned with at 140. He’s a dangerous cat that can make some noise in 2009. He brings, power, pressure and underrated skills. He’s ready.

 

Ricky Hatton – He’s getting towards the end of his career but anyone that wants to gain 140 pound preeminence all roads still go through Hatton, at least for now – although when he leaves there are many worthy fighters to fill the void.. He’s a superstar in the sport because of his complexion and affable attitude. But he can fight, too, make no mistake about that. He can call his own shots and fight the biggest fights. He will probably take on Pacquiao in the spring.  After that, who knows?

 

Sergio Martinez – He’s a very classy southpaw boxer with excellent speed.  He looks like a guy that’s a super athlete and is able to apply that athleticism in his fights. But he’s busy and aggressive and will make for some excellent match-ups at Jr. middleweight with his more brawling rivals Angulo and Kirkland. He has a tough task ahead when he takes on talented youngster Joe Greene in his first title defense.

 

Tim Bradley – He has speed, talent and a great work ethic. He’s articulate and a student of the game – what’s not to like.  He upset Junior Witter in to win a portion of the 140 pound title. He’s s a top player in the division. And he’s very young.

 

Nate Campbell  - He’s the people’s lightweight champ with his stirring winning over Juan Diaz earlier this year.  Campbell talks smack but he walks the walk and is extremely dangerous to anyone – ask Joan Guzman who got out of fighting him because of weight shenanigans. He’s older at 36 but he is on top of his game and has to be considered the top 135 pounder right now. He can do it all, box, punch and brawl. He’s fast, tough and grizzled. I hope he stays at a high level and fights guys like Antillon, Juan Manuel Marquez and Edwin Valero.

 

Honorable Mention

 

Juan Manuel Marquez – May be the best boxer/puncher in the world.

 

Edwin Valero – 24 KO’s in 24 wins. May be the most dangerous fighter in the world.

 

Bernard Hopkins – Not always thrilling but at nearly 44, he’s a special fighter.

 

Joe Calzaghe – Underappreciated for years, he’s finally found respect as a supreme fighter and very tough guy.

 

Kelly Pavlik – Hopkins loss stings but he’s still young, exciting and dangerous.

 

Vic Darchinyan – He can punch, box and he’s nasty.

Dr. Wladimir Klitschko operated on Hasim Rahman with a plethora of jackhammer jabs that eventually forced Rahman out of the fight early in the 7^th round at the SAP-Arena, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.  It wasn’t Klitschko’s most scintillating performance but he did it his way and was in complete command the whole way.  I guess one shouldn’t complain about a winner that didn’t lose one second of the fight but that’s what I’m going to do.

You see, I had picked that Klitschko would end this in under 6.5 rounds. That means after 1:30 elapse in the 7^th round the wager would be lost. It did end up barely going “under” but only by 45 seconds. The thing is Klitschko had a sitting duck in front of him but fought him as if was much more of a threat than he actually was. Rahman was visibly fatigued after 3 rounds and was backed against the ropes with his hands high but not in a position to punch.

 

Klitschko would stab his jab at Rahman but was reticent about doing anything else. He didn’t go to the body at all, which would have done wonders and when he threw power punches he was grossly inaccurate as they mostly sailed of Rahman’s head. Klitschko’s accuracy just seemed uncharacteristically off especially when you consider that he wasn’t under much resistance. But in the center of the ring, that jab was doing big business. It was heavy and it hurt. And it seems to carry the impact of a good right cross. 

 

Finally in the 6^th round when all of the fight was all but gone out of Rahman, Klitschko dropped him with some hooks high on the head. The end seemed near. Yet, Klitschko didn’t press that advantage too much and Rahman made it through the round. But early in the 7th, the ref wasn’t going to allow a defenseless fighter to continue and he promptly pulled the plug at 44 seconds into the 7^th round.

 

I suppose Klitschko fought smartly when all is considered. He’s an excellent talent but he does know his limitations and it’s obvious in his approach that he doesn’t want to expose them again. He understands that if he tires, he’s more vulnerable to incoming fire. And he understands if an opponent gets him to that point then the fight becomes more of a coin flip than a sure result. 

 

And in spite of his size, talent, skill and speed he is simply not the most durable heavyweight we have ever seen. And while he’s in good condition, he has been known to fatigue from being “tight” in the ring and expending too much energy early against inferior opposition. Trainer Emanuel Steward seems to have Klitschko fighting very smart although even he seems to get irritated when his charge doesn’t get rid of an opponent when he thinks he should. Steward is always a guy that likes to work quickly if he can so it’s interesting that he’s worked so well with Klitschko who needs to be handled in a different way.

 

I guess for me, as a bettor and a fan, it’s frustrating to see the heavyweight champ “almost” fight scared against a dead man. But he is who he is.  He’s a physical talent and he’s very cerebral who knows he can “crack” mentally when fatigued and hurt.  As such, he does what he has to do to win and he has been doing that very well for the past 4 years.  That old Clint Eastwood line applies perfectly for Klitschko. “Man’s got to know his limitations.” Well Klitschko does know his limitations and that fact makes him a winning, albeit sometimes dreary fighter.

In an abysmal heavyweight fight James Toney was awarded a highly dubious split decision over Fres Oquendo at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, Cabazon, California on Saturday night. The contest was televised on the Versus network.

 

Toney, who believes, he can knock out the Klitschko brothers consecutively, found himself laboring badly by the 8^th round against Oquendo and was fortunate to make to the final bell. Don’t get me wrong, Oquendo did nothing to improve his prospects of becoming or challenging for a title and the fight was close after 7 or 8 rounds. But Oquendo swept the last third of the fight while Toney just tried to get through until the end where the myopic, or worse, California judges could gift him an early Christmas present. 

 

Oquendo had more gas at the end and was able to strafe Toney with wide and heavy right hands to the head and body late in the fight. Ridiculous ref Lou Moret even docked Oquendo a point for hitting Toney in the back of the head. But the way Toney ducks his head; those kinds of shots are inevitable. And Toney jumped on board after the point deduction as the  threat of disqualification was issued to Oquendo, and began to rub the back of his head with his glove upon any subsequent (or near) contact to that area.

 

It certainly would have saved Toney a lot of labored breathing and punishment if Moret was to render a DQ. Anyway, neither guy came close to proving that they deserve a title shot and Toney showed it is really time to hang them up. He’s 40 years old, sloppy and out of shape. He throws 30 punches around and is so off balance it looks likes he’s fighting with ice skates on. In essence, Oquendo looked mediocre and Toney looked horrible.  

 

If Tony Thompson, Toney’s originally scheduled opponent, appeared I believe he would have been the first to stop Toney. That’s because Thompson is still a credible fighter that can compete on a top level while Toney is merely grasping at straws. If Toney does get rewarded for this “win” with a shot at either Klitschko he will easily suffer his worst night as a fighter and will be brutally shot down. And it’s a fight that wouldn’t be good for boxing or Toney’s health. That could be the fight that puts Toney over the edge and turns him punchy.  And no one with a brain wants to see that happen.

 

I did back 3-1 underdog Oquendo in this fight and was obviously displeased with the home cooking Toney received. It really is a shame that the home town fighter or promoter advantage frequently comes into play in boxing. It’s criminal. And what’s worse is that it is mostly shrugged off as just part of the game and something you just have to accept. That’s absurd. I don’t know what can be done (but I’m thinking about it) to reduce bogus decisions the country and world over but at the very least a solution has to be given high priority.

On Saturday night at the MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas Filipino Icon Manny Pacquiao rendered Oscar de la Hoya’s long boxing career irrelevant with a scorching 8^th round stoppage win.  

 

The first round opened slowly but after the first minute Pacquiao began to find the target. A jab here, a left cross there. It was a Pacquiao round but there still seemed that perhaps de la Hoya could get untracked and gain some momentum.  Wrong! 

 

Every round got progressively worse for de la Hoya. Pacquiao was constantly in motion and turning and de la Hoya just couldn’t find him. Pacquiao began to slowly turn up the pressure round after round as the fight became more one-sided and the blows landed more frequently for Pacquiao. 

 

By the end of the 6^th round de la Hoya was looking ragged and getting busted up. In the 7^th, it was a complete mismatch and the PacMan was doling out heaping portions of punishment – body, head, body head. He was folding de la Hoya up like a tent.  For all intents and purposes this fight was over.  The question was how much longer would it go? Only one more round.  After a punishing 8^th round, de la Hoya and his corner agreed to call it night.   It was the right move.

 

De la Hoya is not a quitter as some are saying in the forums. He was simply in with a much better guy and after a storied amateur career and a 16 year pro log, it was time to call it a night and hopefully a career. De la Hoya will be fine.  He has a powerful promotional company, Golden Boy Promotions, with excellent talent and high exposure. But now Oscar will have to rely on other fighters to bring home the bacon.

 

That all said, the loss will sting for a while and must be somewhat of an embarrassment for de la Hoya and his team as the former 106 pound fighter Pacquiao was handpicked for the purpose of giving de la Hoya the biggest return for the least amount of risk. Well, de la Hoya’s choice didn’t just backfire but blew up completely in his face.  The massive majority consensus was that the bigger and stronger de Hoya, who has mixed with the likes of Felix Trinidad, Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley, would easily be able to turn back Pacquiao who fought Juan Manuel Marquez at a bodyweight of 129 only 10 months ago.  And based on that alone it was perfectly reasonable to assume that de la Hoya would run over little Manny.

 

I thought this was a mismatch in Oscar’s favor when this match was in the whisper stages. (But, fortunately, I looked very closely at this match as it drew near and backed Pacquiao in this fight.)

 

It turned out that Pacquiao was better in every conceivable way. He was stronger, faster, hit harder and was the better boxer. And to top it off, he entered the ring one and a half pounds heavier than de la hoya.

 

Unfortunately, many bettors were overcome by emotion when this fight was made as it seemed their ship had come in because de la Hoya was seen by most as a sure thing and to top it off he was only a 2-1 favorite at the betting parlors.  That made many people salivate at the prospect of stealing money form the sports books. And many people abandoned rationality and laid it on thick with de la Hoya because this fight was viewed as a mismatch of epic proportions and that everyone, including Pacquiao, knew their role in this “Dream Match.”

 

But how did Pacquiao bamboozle everyone?  Well, a lot of things came into play.  Oscar wasn’t strong coming down in weight and is clearly a faded fighter. Manny benefited from the jump in weight because he was cutting weight for too long and he was able to bring his incredible speed and gifts with him to this new weight division.  And Pacquiao has really become a complete fighter under the tutelage of Freddie Roach.  He moves his head, he can hit and move, he can go side to side and he added a brutal body attack along with a savage right hook.  And Pacquiao held the new weight perfectly. He has amazingly strong and thick legs and a compact and chiseled torso.

 

De la Hoya brought in the dream team for trainers.  He hired Nacho Beristain, who is a great strategist, and his charge Juan Manuel Marquez gave Pacquiao hell in 24 rounds of fighting. So de la Hoya reasoned that Beristain had the key to beating Pacquiao. And he also added revered Angelo Dundee as a consultant. He went on a new diet where he ate Kangaroo meat and was on weight for quite sometime. But no matter what he did it wasn’t going to be enough. He could have brought in the ghosts of the all time great trainers like Ray Arcel, Jack Blackburn, Mannie Seamon, Whitey Bimstein, Charley Goldman and Eddie Futch but it would have been to no avail. Oscar’s skills and physical ability had eroded too much to be fixed.

 

However,  it still was jaw dropping to see de la Hoya owned by a former flyweight champion when just a little more than a year ago, he was reasonably competitive with the then pound for pound best Floyd Mayweather Jr. But no matter how bad this might appear, there is no shame in losing to Pacquiao at this point in his career. Pacquiao is truly a special talent in the mold of Henry Armstrong that can be successful in any weight division he fights in. And in spite of the perception of Pacquiao being small, he actually carries an amazing amount of muscle mass and with his thick trunk, 140 -147 look like the perfect place for Pacquiao to settle into for the remainder of his career.

 

So where do they go from here? I hope Oscar retires because he really could get himself hurt if he continues on.  He’s been a bright light in the sport and has had a superb career. He won numerous titles and fought most of the best. He lost to the very best but he beat some very good champions, too. He had crossover appeal because of his looks and demeanor. But now it’s time to devote his energies to promoting fulltime.

 

As for Pacquiao, he has some great fights ahead of him. There are potential money fights with British draw Ricky Hatton. Or perhaps retired former pound for pound best Floyd Mayweather will come back looking for a piece of the PacMan. This will probably not happen, in my view, unless Floyd’s money has been badly depleted in our floundering economy. He’s not the type of guy that will fight someone that could beat him unless the money was really right. I’ll say this now; if Pacquiao takes on Mayweather I am backing Pacquiao.  I think he runs him out of the ring.

 

There are other good fighters at 140 that Pacquiao could tackle or he could throw caution to the wind and take on welterweight monsters like Miguel Cotto or, god forbid, Antonio Margarito. But whatever he does from here on out, the world will be watching. Pacquiao has inherited the mantle of the new face in the sport of boxing and I don’t think we will be disappointed.

 

 

 

 

Ricky Hatton was not going to be denied against Paulie Malignaggi as he has things all his own way en route to an impressive 11^th stoppage on Saturday night at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas. Hatton was greater than a 2-1 favorite but you would have never known it based on boxing pundits the world over. Both guys had not looked that good in the past year so there were many questions to be answered in this fight. 

 

Hatton was s topped in tough fight to Floyd Mayweather and struggled with tough vet Juan Lezcano in his return fight.  And Malignaggi stunk things out twice in a row with wins over Herman Ngoudjo and Lovemore N’dou.   Many looked at Hatton as a crude brawler and thought he didn’t match up well with the slick Malignaggi. 

 

But people seem to forget Hatton is fast of hand and foot and is very good at making the ring seem very small to his surprised opponents. And Hatton seemed to get a big breath of fresh air by letting go of longtime ring hand Billy Graham to work with Floyd Mayweather Sr. Hatton was in great physical condition and his technique was improved. He really hasn’t looked quite this robust since his title winning fight against Kostya Tszyu in June 2005.

 

Malignaggi seemed very confident before the fight in what he was going to have in front of him.  But that went away early in the fight as Hatton dictated the pace let Malignaggi know right from the beginning that he was going to be pressed hard until the very end.  Malignaggi had a modicum of success in the first round when he landed some decent jabs. 

 

But Hatton was unfazed and merely kept pressing and which paid big dividends in the 2^nd round.  Hatton shook Malignaggi to the core with a right hand.  An early KO looked possible but he is very quick and is a natural survivor as he held Hatton every chance he could. 

 

Hatton couldn’t get that early KO but he kept working, hitting anything he could reach.  He was really roughing up Malignaggi and thing got systematically rougher for the brash Brooklynite. Malignaggi was getting busted up and by the midpoint in the fight his offense was only memory. He took more abuse until his trainer Buddy McGirt rescued him in the 11^th round.  

 

Malignaggi was upset greatly upset by McGirt’s action but I’m not certain the ref wouldn’t have stopped it shortly.  He looked particularly ragged after absorbing a brutal array of body shots and McGirt could read the writing on the wall and ended it.  It was a reasonable stoppage.

 

Hatton is one of the most popular boxer’s in the world and he has an excellent shot at facing the winner of the well hyped De la Hoya vs. Pacquiao bout next week.  He has an amazing fan base that will follow him anywhere and he can draw more than the New York Yankees in his homeland of Manchester, . 

 

Hatton still has never lost at 140 pounds and still has to be considered the top guy in that division although there are some legitimate challenges there if he wants them.  But Hatton has had a long, tough career and he’s at a point that he can fight the biggest money fights and basically call his own shots.  And that’s what I expect he’ll do. 

 

Somewhere in talented nemesis Junior Witter is drowning his sorrows in a vat of Guinness beer. You see, Witter has been chasing Hatton for a fatton payday but Witter has gotten a bit too mouthy for Ricky’s liking and thus cost himself millions of pounds with continued disrespect for Manchester’s favorite son.

 

Malignaggi didn’t do so bad.  He’s a fighter that can’t punch and without a real fan base and he scored a million dollar payday. But he’s a colorful character and as painful as it is to watch him fight sometimes, I’d like to see him return.

 

I picked a Hatton win by stoppage in this one and was pleased McGirt ensured that of happening. I simply didn’t think Malignaggi could keep Hatton off of him and that Hatton had underrated speed and ability. And basically it was a one sided mugging. 

 

Hatton is somewhat amazing to me because he is almost always able to get himself in prime shape when he packs on so much weight between fights. I certainly don’t condone his practice of excessive food and drink but its part of who he is and I don’t think he’s going to stop.  Can you imagine what he’ll look like when he’s retired from boxing for 10 years?  He might make the current Roberto Duran look svelte.

Lucien Bute managed to controversially retain his IBF super middleweight crown over teak tough challenger Librado Andrade despite being knocked out in the final seconds of the 12^th round at the Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada on Friday night.

 

Referee Marlon Wright was the conduit that caused the bizarre result we got.  You see, Andrade flattened Bute several seconds before the final bell and Wright issued a wacky long count that saved Bute from a sure KO loss.  Bute did rise before a 10 count but was completely gone and was being held up by the ropes. Wright never asked Bute to come forward to check his condition.  If he had, I don’t think Bute could have remained upright.  The Unified Rules of Boxing provide that no fighter shall be saved by the bell in any round and even though Bute was up, he wasn’t in any condition to continue and should have been ruled as such.

 

This long count was prompted when Wright vigorously barked at Andrade to return to a neutral corner.  Andrade was reasonably situated in the corner but Wright wasted time by starting his count all over again.  Bute never really recovered during the count but at about the 24 second mark Wright wiped Bute’s gloves and then the bell rang, ending the fight.

 

Bute was certainly ahead in the scoring but that should have become a moot point once he was dropped and unable to continue. Wright even admitted that he would have stopped the fight against Bute if Andrade hadn’t disobeyed him.  But that doesn’t fly because he was in the corner and never approached Bute during the count.  It was a terribly wrong call that stole a deserving fighters dream (for now) of becoming a champion. 

 

And that wasn’t the only way Wright aided Bute.  Andrade is a very strong fighter and is quite dangerous on the inside.  As such, ever time Andrade got close; Bute would immediately grab Andrade and force an entanglement.  Andrade, wanting to fight, tried to push Bute off to free his hands so he could punch.  But instead of warning Bute not to hold, Wright would continually admonish, and shove back, Andrade for pushing off and trying to fight. It was utterly ridiculous. 

 

In many venues an argument could be made to take points from Bute for such overuse of the grab.  Bute finally got a warning in the 11^th for holding but at that point Bute was beginning to fade and the warning, in my view, was a disguise to give Bute a chance to get a few unimpeded breaths.  Wright should be forced to watch the fight with respected boxing officials and explain his over officious actions to Andrade throughout this 12 round fight.

 

The fight itself was contrast in styles and ability.  Bute showed great speed, intelligence and athleticism while Andrade showed fortitude, his own improved skills, tremendous conditioning and a super human quality to absorb punishment. Bute got off to a good start and seemed to grab the first 3 rounds.  But Andrade began finding the mark in rounds four and five when began to land effective body shots and hooks and uppercuts to the head. 

 

To me it looked like Andrade was going to be able to take over the fight but to Bute’s credit he ratcheted up his own intensity and successfully thwarted much of Andrade’s effectiveness with clever boxing in rounds 6 through 10.  Bute was even credited with a knockdown in the 10^th round.  Again, that was another bad call where Bute pushed an off balance Andrade down where Wright naturally ruled a legitimate knockdown. What a charlatan.  

 

Anyway, in the 11^th round Bute began to show some signs of fatigue as Andrade, whether effective or not, never stopped putting pressure on Bute. Andrade was told he was going to have to do something dramatic in the final round and was determined to carry out that mission.  Andrade pressed forward and began landing some telling blows.  Bute was doing his best to survive and hold but his energy was depleted.  Andrade kept coming and with about 30 seconds left in the round he landed a bludgeoning assault. Bute tried to hold but Andrade broke free and landed two more heavy shots that had Bute backpedaling across the ring on what was left of his legs.

 

With about 12 seconds left Andrade missed a bomb that would have prevented the controversy we now have and Bute slinked and backed to another section of the ring.  Andrade followed in dogged pursuit and landed the bomb he was looking for; a right hand that dropped Bute in a heap in the corner.  Bute got up at about the “actual” count of 8 but was defenseless and finished as he leaned back against he ropes for support. This is where the non sense happened that I describe above.

 

Andrade, who is one of the most genial and likeable fighters outside of the ring, took the events that transpired against him with amazing grace. Sure he thought he won and he expressed that but he didn’t complain or gripe, displayed great sportsmanship to Bute and even hugged and cajoled with the referee. Think of that.  The man that cost you a world title and possibly millions of dollars and Andrade simply rolls with it moves on. 

 

Zab Judah, and many others, could learn something about restraint from this man. As I’ve been following Andrade for the past several years, he strikes me of a guy that has a certain zest for life and doesn’t let disappointing events affect his mindset. His superb demeanor and great attitude towards everyone and everything is unshakable and rock solid even by the most the most egregious events - such as this contest.  

 

Andrade fights with great intensity but it is not fueled by emotion or anger.  Before this contest with Bute, they traveled on a press tour and became friends and to my understanding had thoughtful and meaningful conversations.  Not many people could display this level of detachment or maturity to engage an opponent in that manner when inevitably they are going to battle in a physically brutal way.  But Andrade is an unusual cat that should be celebrated by boxing aficionado’s or anyone that appreciates the amazing depth and introspection of this athlete.  

 

I don’t hold ill will of Bute in this fiasco.  He did the best he could with his own substantial abilities against a man with different, but also amazing attributes.  Both men fought their best and have pledged to remain friends outside of the ring.  I expect that to be the case even if they do see each other inside a boxing ring again.

 

Logically, this “loss” will not really hurt Andrade’s boxing prospects. Most people think he won the fight and people have been vocal about it the world over. He has a great style, in and out of the ring,  and he will most certainly get another title shot in the near future. Many people seem to like grinders that may not have amazing speed or natural talent but are as tough as nickel steaks and keep on moving forward.  I love guys like Andrade and Margarito that are near impervious to punishment and just walk through guys. I find that preferable to the athlete like Bute who has the speed and skills but isn’t built for the grind like Andrade. That’s just me and I know many disagree.  I can’t help but think that Andrade was born 25 years too late when 15 rounds were the championship distance.  Who could beat this guy in a 15 round fight? 

The vacant IBF title is up for grabs in this fight between Cristobal Cruz and Orlando Salido. This fight will be televised on the Versus network on Thursday night.

 

I expect an action packed fight.  Both fighters are aggressive, offensive minded fighters that usually don’t take to long to get acquainted. Cruz is a veteran with 11 losses but he is never an easy out for anyone. Cruz can throw 100 punches per round for a 12 round and did just that in his last outing when he outhustled highly regarded Thomas Mashaba earlier this year.  

 

I don’t think Salido brings quite that volume but he is a very strong fighter, with a punishing style. And Salido seems to throw shorter, more compact punches than Cruz.  Salido is a guy with a lot of losses, too but he has proved to be a much improved and very dangerous fighter over the last 5 years. In fact the only one to beat him since 2001 was the great Juan Manuel Marquez, who cautiously outpointed the dangerous Salido in 2004. Salido’s most impressive win was a 12 round drubbing of vacating champ Robert Guerrero in late 2006.

 

Guerrero is a quick and talented guy yet Salido was able to rough him up and dominate most of the rounds in their 12 round contest. Unfortunately for Salido, he tested positive for some type of Steroid and the win was ruled a no contest.  Salido has put together 4 wins since that fight. 

 

Cruz has been a rugged veteran campaigner that seems to have found new life at featherweight. At 130, he dropped 2 recent decisions to mirror image Francisco Lorenzo and was shutout by Zahir Raheem in a light weight fight. But he has looked sharp in his last two fights at 126. Both guys are battle tested and very tough fighters. They have both been reasonably busy and seem to be fighting at a high level.

 

But I see Salido as the stronger man and better technician. I believe he also has the heavier hands.  Both guys were young teenagers when they turned pro and suffered setbacks early on while getting their on the job training.  But Salido seems to be the more evolved and consistent performer over the past few years. Salido is still young at 28, Cruz is 31, and can still be a major force at 126.  He lost to Marquez fairly widely but it’s was notable the amount of respect the master boxer gave Salido in that fight.  Marquez never looked too comfortable in that bout and seemed to be looking to get through 12 rounds with as little exchanging as possible.  Marquez clearly won but never punished Salido in the bout. Marquez, you may recall was just nipped by Manny Pacquiao this year and then knocked Joel Casamayor in his last outing. 

 

I think the styles of these two fighters will mesh for an entertaining affair. They should both be right in front of each other.  And I believe that favors Salido.  I think Salido will be able to land his heavier punches on the swarming Cruz. Cruz has proven toughness but I don’t think he’s ever faced a stronger and more punishing fighter. In a fan friendly fight I think the stronger Salido will be able to outbox and outfight Cruz, probably more of the latter. I’m looking for a Salido win, possibly by late rounds stoppage.

POSTSCRIPT: I was looking to carry this fight but I wasn't comfortbale with the betting lines.  Salido is - 400 which is a big price and the over/under is 9.5 rounds in this 12 round fight.  I think Salido could win by stoppage but Cruz has always showed toughness and hasn't been stopped in 6 years.  If the o/u was 11.5  I would reccomend the under play if the value was right. Right now the Under 9.5 is about  +225. That's the best value I see on the fight but I'm not comfortable endosring it as an "official" play.

Gone was the old economical Hopkins looking for right hand counter punches that we had grown used to seeing and replaced with a laser sharp Executioner that ripped Pavlik with a blazing 2 handed attack.  Hopkins landed sizzling left hooks, thudding right hands and punishing body punches – every single round. Pavlik, who has always been able to impose his will on everyone he had fought up to this point, never came close to finding an answer on what to do. And as Hopkins began to win round after round, Pavlik, and everyone else witnessing this amazing event was now realizing that we were all conned, but not in the way we thought we would be. 

You see, Pavlik, myself and well over 90% of all the pundits were absolutely blindsided by what was taking place. As soon as the 2^nd round was over, I knew it was over for Pavlik and he was in for a one sided whipping by the slyest of the sly.  But I was resigned to see it through and ultimately eat a heaping serving of crow.  Hopkins was able to dictate every aspect of this fight.  He staggered and hurt Pavlik several times in the fight but Pavlik showed his own grit by hanging in there and taking the heavy dose of medicine Hopkins was serving him. Pavlik tried but that only made things worse as he soaked up numerous clean shots that made everyone wince. Hopkins never let his foot off the gas nor did he seem like the listless, tired fighter that he appeared to be in his bout with Calzaghe. 

Hopkins closed the show with gusto, lacing Pavlik with a punishing array of leather that would have turned many man back well before the end.  Just as the fight was ending, Hopkins was feeling it and having so much fun that he threw a few more shots for good measure at the fights close and feigned like he was going to continue to attack Pavlik after the fight ended, as the ref had Hopkins in a bear hug keeping him from continuing to abuse the bewildered Pavlik. Pavlik’s corner got pissed off but Hopkins’s message was delivered load and clear – ‘I just beat the crap out of the middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik and shocked the world.’ 

Once satisfied, Hopkins slid to another part of the ring and simply stared out at press row with a motionless ‘I told you so’ look that everyone seemed to get.  Then the enormity of what and how Hopkins won this fight seemed to suddenly hit Bernard himself as his lips and jaw quivered with emotion in a display rarely seen by the Executioner.  Now with Hopkins’ superiority proved and in check, he walked over to Pavlik to be a good sport, which is easy after such a dominating victory.  And he began a lecture that almost looked like a father asserting authority over a son and the son getting that message loud and clear.  Pavlik vigorously nodded to every word Hopkins said with an ‘I am humbled by what you just did to me look and I promise I will never cross you again.’ It was like a fight in the schoolyard where the guys involved in the fight make up but true dominance has been firmly established and will never questioned again.  Game, set, match and Hopkins once again he proves everyone wrong. 

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN

Hopkins certainly bamboozled me with this effort.  How did he do it when no one thought he could? He wasn’t that sharp against Winky Wright. He beat a weight drained and half dead Antonio Tarver, he dropped two decisions to Jermain Taylor – a guy Pavlik handled twice and KO’d once. And Hopkins, seemed to show his age against Joe Calzaghe in his last fight where he looked tired, slow and sluggish late in the fight. 

But Calzaghe has proved to be an all time great and simply had too much speed and conditioning for Hopkins. Still, Hopkins only lost by a split decision and his defense was still intact late in the fight. Taylor has quick hands, why couldn’t he have handled Pavlik like Hopkins did? Because while Taylor has a million dollar body, he has a 5 cent head.  Hopkins’ greatest asset is his brain. He knows what he can and cannot do and doesn’t deviate from that. Ever. He holds true to the old axiom made famous by Clint Eastwood – “man has got to know his limitations.”

Well, Hopkins knows his limitations, strengths and knows the same about his opponents, too. But I just couldn’t get the image of Hopkins standing in the ring, waiting to throw a counter right hand while not throwing any body shots or hooks. He looked that way against Calzaghe, Wright, Taylor and even Tarver to an extent. But it could be argued he won the Taylor fights, and only Calzaghe legitimately beat him and that was close.  And I think the 170 pound weight limit may have helped Hopkins to be the stronger man as BHOP walks around at over 190 these days while Pavlik usually fights at 160 and doesn’t walk around much over 170.

Hopkins seemed to understand if he could smack Pavlik in the mouth early and often, he could dictate the terms of the fight. Hopkins used his hand speed perfectly by landing first, and once Pavlik tasted some nasty leather he became like an obedient dog, dropping his punch output by roughly 200%.  Once Pavlik was defused and not punching, the table was set and dinner was served.  In my mind, I looked at Hopkins as 25 punch a round guy against a 100 punch a round guy with great power and conditioning. But that was all thrown out the window by the amazing Hopkins and I got this one terribly wrong.

 

WHAT I SAID

In my pick, I picked a Pavlik decision win, of this fight I gave Hopkins respect as a formerly great fighter but made it clear that I thought his time had passed and that he was merely a con man lining his pockets on his way to retirement. I talked of his repeated rhetoric about his coming of age at the Greaterford penitentiary that he reminds us all of and how it has grown tiresome. Well, some of this needs to be revisited.  I still think Hopkins is the best manger, his own, in boxing. 

Here is taste of what Hopkins alone accomplished: In the late 1990’s Hopkins was the middleweight champ but was a guy everyone hated, he wasn’t exciting and couldn’t draw flies to dump.  Everyone just seemed to be waiting for him to go away but he kept winning against whoever was available and simply wouldn’t shut up about the lack of respect and money he had been receiving. His perseverance and intelligence began to pay off in 2001 when he was entered in a 4 man middleweight tournament that was established to coronate Felix Trinidad as the top dog in the division.

Don King was tickled with the tournament because it would kill two birds with one stone – it would get rid of Hopkins once and for all and make the loveable Tito Trinidad a crossover star that would greatly enhance the King family coffers. But wily old Hopkins threw a wrench into the event by winning it, and knocking out Trinidad in a performance that was like slowly ripping the wings off a fly for 11 and half rounds, until he crushes him at the end.  So after the great win over Trinidad, Hopkins returned against the middleweight bum the month club against the likes of Carl Daniels and Morrade Hakkar, William Joppy and Robert Allen. Hopkins was winning again but no one cared.  Enter Oscar de la Hoya, who was looking for a challenge against an aging middleweight champ that he felt he could beat. But De la Hoya is a true Golden Boy and everything that Oscar touches gets some gold dripped on them.  This is what Hopkins was waiting for.  De la hoya took purse parity with 75/25 split but that was still worth a cool $10Million for Hopkins.

In a dreary fight Hopkins won by a 9^th round KO with a left hook to the liver.  Then, soon after that fight Hopkins partners up with de la Hoya in his Golden Boy Promotions Company. Talk about smart.  And that alignment has set up big fights that have made de la Hoya richer and Hopkins wealthier than he ever dreamed of.  In light of the circumstances Hopkins is the smartest fighter/manager in history.

HOPKINS DESERVES RESPECT

But while Hopkins is getting himself paid quite well, he has to be given great credit for preparing for every fight as if he is still a starving contender.  He’s nearly 44 years old but he gets himself in the best possible shape he can and, win or lose, has a strong game plan for every opponent. And further credit must be given for fighting the best guys.  He took on the very difficult and quick Calzaghe, a loss, and then the hard punching work horse Pavlik in his next fight. And he grabbed wins over light heavyweight champ Antonio Tarver and the highly avoided Winky Wright.

And, while I was critical of his jailhouse rhetoric; hey we even get sick of good songs, he backed that up in this match and brought the Ghetto out for this fight. He beat, demoralized, pounded and hammered the young buck Pavlik like he was handing out brutal street justice. And he was.  That’s what he told Pavlik during that little lecture after the fight.  Hopkins said, you are dealing with “a real dude from street.”  As if to say ‘this is what was supposed to happen to your cornbread ass and you shouldn’t be surprised.’ 

I tip my cap to Hopkins; he is a real dude from the streets. If I didn’t give that enough respect in my pick, I was wrong.  He orchestrates everything in his life with careful calculation and recognizes what the consequences will be for everything he does. He knows just what to tweak and when to do it.  Considering his lack of formal education the man is a master of the psychology of people. He can read them and play his hands accordingly. And he has learned that from the streets of hard knocks.

Now I know he wants to fight the winner of Roy Jones vs. Joe Calzaghe but if he still has it in him, that he believes he is the baddest man on the cell block, he will take on either light heavyweight champ Chad Dawson or former light heavyweight champ Glen Johnson. Dawson is a young buck, but with blazing speed, superb skills and great talent and Johnson is somewhat like Hopkins was (but more gracious); improved late in his career, is tough as nails, is very dangerous and often avoided. 

If Hopkins takes on and defeats BOTH of these men in 2009, I’ll be the first to say that Hopkins should have a separate wing in the boxing hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.  But will we see the conman/boxing manager Hopkins next versus Jones or Calzaghe or the true baddest guy in the hood against Dawson or Johnson.  What do you think? I say the former.  But Hopkins may prove me and everyone wrong again by taking the tougher road. Hey, two years ago I never thought I’d see Hopkins fight Calzaghe or Pavlik and he did. Come on Executioner, do the right thing and bring back that “real dude from the streets” for an encore or two.

 

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 7^th round it was evident he was breaking down.  Mercifully, the doctor halted Bunema’s night after the 8^th 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 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!

1. 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.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. 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.
   
   
4. 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.
   
   
5. 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.
   
   
6. 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.
   
   
7. 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.
   
   
8. 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.
9. 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.
   
   
10. 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.

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?

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.