The Hitman vs The Pacman: Tale of the Tape & Prediction

Okay folks, tomorrow, two of the best fighters in the world collide head to head in a battle for Super Lightweight Supremecy, Filipino icon and boxings #1 P4P fighter Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao attempts to dethrone the once beaten Jr. Welterweight kingpin Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton. This is what boxing is all about, the best fighting the best, and in this case, it’s also the East vs West, what a sport.

This is by far the best fight that can be made at the moment, certainly some would argue that a fight between Filipino great Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. would serve as a much better boxing match between the former P4P Champ and the Current P4P Champ. Instead, there are talks of Money Mayweather coming out of his year and half retirement to face Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez, that will tie Mayweather up (as well as Marquez) for possibly the remainder of the year, so, we may be looking at late this year or early next year to see Pacquiao take on the undefeated Mayweather, it is certainly a fight we all wish will happen, and with both fighters being so good at putting cheeks in seats, it just might happen sooner than later. But for now, we point our attention to this weekends battle of Jr. Welterweights, I am not going to spend much time disecting their careers or their accomplishments, I’ve read dozens of articles regarding these two in past few weeks, I’m ready to just give my opinion and normal prediction, so, with one man being the king of the division, and the other being the king of boxing, Who wins?

Well, let’s get to it..shall we

Okay, I am going to be honest, I am not the biggest Manny Pacquiao fan, and I’m not even that into Ricky Hatton either, nothing against the two, they’re very good fighters, I just don’t get that chilling suspense when either of them are preparing for a fight, unless of course, it’s against one of my favorite fighters. But, we’re not anticipating either of them facing another fighter, they’re actually facing each other, which definitely has the boxing world buzzing, and I myself, am pretty anxious to see these two warriors go at it, it just has the potential to be a mind blowing affair and one that will be talked about for years. Both guys are at their peak, more so for Pacman, but Hatton too, isn’t far from his best, he only has lost one time as a pro, and that was against the former P4P Champion, Floyd Mayweather Jr. Since then, Hatton has back to back wins,  one being more important than the other, but none the less, he’s been on the winning end, and hopes to win again this weekend. Pacquiao has not lost since March of 2005, when he was out boxed by future Hall Of Famer, Erik Morales, but since then, Manny has been on a winning streak, with two of those wins being against his former conqueror, Erik Morales. Since the first Morales fight, Manny Pacquiao has developed into much more of a complete fighter, combining amazing hand speed, power, boxing skills and and iron will to win, improving his over all abilites to not only win his fights, but to become what he is now, the current #1 P4P Fighter, what an accomplishment.

Rarely do I think both combatants have a chance to win, but this is definitely one of them. I will post my Keys To Victory for both fighters.\

Keys To Victory for: Ricky Hatton

-          Use Head Movement: This is the most important key to victory for Ricky Hatton, because like Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao is a very sharp puncher with good power, he can easily draw Ricky into a shot that can cause him serious trouble. To avoid this, Hatton needs to move his head, when either in close or from a distance, in moving his head, Hatton will create the kind of movement that can mute some of Manny’s offense, and because of Hatton’s power, Manny will not commit to punches he does not feel he will land, that will give Hatton more breathing room.

-          Attack The Body: Manny Pacquiao has a great chin, it has been tested against the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez, and it has held up very well, have only been slightly wobbled by Morales and Marquez. But, no one has ever really tested his body, something Ricky Hatton should intend on doing, because, at 140lbs, no one can land to the body the way Ricky Hatton does, when he lands, it hurts, and if he can land with great frequency to Manny’s mid section, we may get to witness Manny’s 3^rd KO loss.

-          Keep the Jab and Double Jab Going: Hatton is a brawler by nature, he applies pressure and at times is overly aggressive, approaching Pacquiao in the manner can result in another loss. Ricky must attempt to box a bit more, some feel he should muscle his way in and bully Manny around, but I think that Hatton must jab at Pacquiao, because in the past, Manny has never done well fighting on his heels, he is a type of figher who needs forward motion to make the most of his attack, if Ricky can jab and double jab at Manny’s face, he can create openings for his hooks and straight right hands, along with keeping Manny blinded and on his heels.

-          Throw The Left Hook: The typical punch an othordox fighter uses against a southpaw is a straight right hand, but in this fight, I feel a Left Hook would be far more effective. Reason being is that Manny has mastered the art of throwing his lead left hand and circling away before his opponent can fire back, if Hatton can keep the jab going and time Manny with his Left Hook, I feel it is a punch that will land, and one that can cause Manny lots of problems.

Keys To Victory for: Manny Pacquiao

-          Keep Moving: Like a lot of successful boxers, Manny has found that if he stays on his toes and keeps his legs moving, he becomes a much harder target to time and find, in the past, Manny was much more of a stationary fighter, he had great confidence in his power and hardly ever took a step back, he would contantly engage his opponents into a slug fest, something that always fell in his favor because of his fighting spirit and brawling tactics . But, since he’s moved up in weight, Manny has transformed into much more of a ‘boxer’, springing in and out while landing accurately in the process, against smaller fighters, Manny can stay in the trenches and exchange toe to toe, against bigger fighters (Diaz, De La Hoya), Manny has used his foot speed to his advantage, this is something he must do to keep Hatton reaching and missing.

-          Attack The Body: In boxing, most feel that a boxers best punch, is usually a punch that can be effectively used against him, that notion can defintely be applied here. Ricky Hatton is the best body puncher at 140lbs, and arguably, the best body puncher in boxing today, he’s lethal with hooks to the body, just ask Castillo. If Manny Pacquiao can land his own body punches, he can do what only one other fighter has been able to do, which was slow Hatton down and use pin point head shots to put an end to the bout. Manny would be smart to keep a sustained attack to Hatton’s flattened beer belly.

-          Throw The Straight Left: Manny’s best punch is none other than his straight left, from the southpaw stance, Manny throws this punch with pin point accuracy, it almost always lands, whether it be used as a lead punch or a counter punch, it’s very effective. The best chane of Manny landing the punch with great frequency, is to throw it as a counter punch rather than a lead punch, because unilke Diaz or De La Hoya, Hatton is much quicker in delivering his punches, if Manny opens up with a lead left at the wrong time, he can be countered, his best bet is to allow Hatton to miss and counter him with the straight left.

-          Throw The Right Hook: In the De La Hoya fight, Pacquiao used a punch we have never really seen him use, it was the Right Hook to the head and body, it did wonders for him while circling away to avoid punches. Hatton’s jab is often used as a blinder, and at times, it falls short, Manny hopes this is the case more often then not, if Hatton’s jab falls short, Manny can really land that Right Hook.

That is the end of this post, not much of a prediction is it? But I can’t help it, this is a tough fight to call. I can care less who wins, both have a great chance..I just hope it’s a good fight!! Until next time….stay tuned

Juan Manuel Marquez vs Juan Diaz: Prediction

Tomorrow night, Juan Manuel Marquez takes on “The Baby Bull” Juan Diaz in a lightweight championship bout. Marquez became the Lineal Lightweight Champion when he knocked out the rock solid Joel Casamayor back in September of last year, he now attempts to add two more Lightweight belts to his credit by attempting to defeat, the once beaten Juan Diaz.

This should be a very entertaining fight, both men have tremendous boxing skills, both come to perform, and above all, both come to win. In his last outing, Marquez got a chance to win a title in his third weight class when he stepped into the ring against slick southpaw, Joel Casamayor, Marquez looked sensational, he seemed to be a much sturdier fighter at 135lbs, he was stronger, sharper, and by knocking out a fighter who had never been stopped before, he seemed more powerful. Now that Marquez has become the #1 lightweight in the world, he aims to fight the best out there, and that’s exactly what he’ll be getting tomorrow night when he faces the non-stop Juan Diaz. Since losing for the first time in his career to veteran Nate Campbell, Juan Diaz rebounded with an impressive win over hard hitting Michael Katsidis, in that fight, Diaz looked incredible with his offense, and even better with his renewed defense, slipping punches and landing his own, he now looks to become the best lightweight in the world by attempting to dethrone Marquez.

What a tough fight to call, I mean, it’s hard to pick, I really like Marquez in this fight, but Diaz is no slouch, he comes full throttle and he wants this win more than ever. I think both actually have a good shot at winning, like I’ve said in plenty of my past predictions, this fight will come down to who can execute their gameplan and throw the other off his.

Here are my keys to victory for both fighters.

Juan Manuel Marquez:

Use the jab – Diaz is a come forward type of fighter who wants to pressure you, if Marquez wants any shot of winning this one, he must establish his jab and keep it going, an absent jab means a closer Diaz.

Use Angles – Although Juan Diaz himself uses angles very well, he can be thrown off balance by stepping to his side after you fire off a combination, Nate Campbell used this technique, and it served him very well. Marquez can jab – right hand then circle away.

Attack The Body – In his fight with Nate Campbell, Diaz seemed to have slowed down a bit after Campbell attacked the body for a few round, Diaz indeed takes a good shot to the head, but he can definitely be weakened if Marquez throws in a body shot every now and then.

Juan Diaz:

Use Pressure – Marquez is a master boxer who loves to control the pace of a bout, that’s when he can set traps and land his punches with better precision, if Diaz can keep the pressure on Marquez, it will keep Marquez from thinking and worried more about staying away.

Stay Busy – Diaz is not known as a power puncher, he’s a fighter who uses and abundance of punches to wear his opponents down, he’s done it in the past to beat good punchers like Acelino Frietas and in his most recent bout with Katsidis. The more time Diaz spends laying back and waiting, the less chance he has of winning.

Box Don’t Brawl – Diaz possess great boxing skills, he’s fast and throws great combinations, but because of his lack of power, he can’t stand and trade with the powerful Marquez, he must stay busy and box. Marquez has the edge in power, by a lot, Diaz must be cautious at all times.

I really can’t say who will be the victor in this bout, all I can say, is it will be a good one. I will be rooting for Marquez ALL the way, but a Diaz win won’t be that surprising.

Stay Tuned……….

Vic Darchinyan vs Jorge Arce: A Fight of The Year Candidate – Prediction

It’s almost here, the fight between Vic Darchinyan vs Jore Arce. In a previous entry, I showed my interest in this fight, and it’s just around the corner (tomorrow to be exact)

Tomorrow night in Anaheim California, Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan will attempt to defend his Flyweight titles (WBO, WBO & IBF) against the always colorful Jorge “El Travieso” Arce, this feud has been brewing for a couple of years now, and will be (hopefully) a sure fire brawl from start to finish. Both come to fight, both come to win and both want to knock their opponents out.

I’m not going to spend too much time talking about the fighters, but let it be known that although Vic Darchinyan is one strong little man, he is a trash talking villain who never respects his opponents, only he combines loads of power and an awkward style, he can be a nightmare for anyone, including Arce. Since the first time I’ve watched Arce battle in the ring, he’s harbored my attention, he’s a brawler by heart but also possess great boxing skills combined with an iron chin and power in both fists. This will be a fight.

Ever heard the phrase “Styles Make Fights”? if so, you’ll know that it’s exactly the case for this bout, Darchinyan is a hard punching fighter who relies on his natural reflexes and raw power, Arce on the other hand, is sometimes wild but can be methodical in his approach. It’s a case of an Awkward Puncher vs Boxer Puncher. Who wins?

Well, throughout his career, Jorge Arce has been known to engage in wars that find him bruised and bloodied, but because of his huge heart, he welcomes that anytime, he loves to fight, and loves to knock people out. As for Vic Darchinyan, he’s used to being the dictator and has failed when faced with adversity, this coming in the form of a humiliating 5^th round TKO loss to Nonito Donaire, but since then, Darchinyan has bounced back with two very impressive KO victories against stiff opposition, being the first flyweight in history to be Undisputed Champion.

I have to be honest, I’m not a big fan of Vic Darchinyan, he’s a little too cocky for my taste, but his skills and power are undeniable, he’s a force in the division, and everyone should take him seriously. In this bout, I will say Arce has the upper hand as far ask “boxing skills” and experience, he’s faced some very good fighters and has passed some serious tests. Both men have been stopped in their respective careers, Darchinyan was KO’d by Nonito Donaire back in July of 2007, and Arce was KO’d by Michael Carbajal back in July of 1999.

Both can win this fight, I think it will come down to who can make the other guy fight their fight. If Arce wants to win this one (a big one at that), he needs to be him, a boxer puncher who can use effective counter punches to catch Darchinyan coming in (the same way Donaire did), and use body shots to setup the big punches upstairs. Vic has the tendency to get lazy at times and defense is not something he remembers very often, although he’s worked on it, he still has holes in his game that Arce can expose. As for Vic, he just needs to box from a distance and make every power punch count, he can’t reach with his punches or lunge in, that will cost him against a fighter like Arce. So, my prediction is, “Whoever Can Make the Other Guy Fight Their Fight” wins. I truly hope Arce can pull this one off, but he must be ware, Darchinyan is a little beast.

Stay tuned………

De La Hoya vs Pacquiao: Prediction – Why De La Hoya Will Beat Pacquiao

Oscar De La Hoya is one of the most recognizable faces in boxing, and in the history of the sport for that matter, he has the star power that every fighters craves, he undoubtedly has the skills of a great fighter, and built his career on fighting the best out there, and doing what he is supposed to do, which is beat the man in front of him. De La Hoya had great success early in his career, he was a big man to deal with in the lower weight divisions, he had size, power and above all, he had tremendous speed, with that, he was able to carry himself to a record of 31 wins, 0 losses, and 23 of those wins coming by way of knockout, he was the real deal. His first “Event” fight (besides the Chavez fights) fight took place on September 18^th 1999, when he faced Puerto Rican knockout artist, Felix “Tito” Trinidad in one of the biggest Welterweight fight’s of all time, both undefeated, both very skilled, and both were extremely popular amongst their people, but only one can remain undefeated.

In that fight, Oscar De La Hoya was performing magic, he was completely out-boxing the Puerto Rican Star, beating him to the punch, and busting him up, but Trinidad would continue marching forward, not fazed by the Golden Boy’s early success, Trinidad, still on his toes, still punching back, but by the half way mark, he was clearly behind. By round 8, De La Hoya looked tired, completely drained by the boxing display and outstanding performance he was putting forth, and Tito began to come on strong, but Oscar was comfortable ahead in the fight, or so we thought. In rounds 11 and 12, De La Hoya jumped on his bicycle and started circling without punching, believing he was comfortably ahead, he was just trying to coast through the last two rounds, but as he did so, it allowed Trinidad to land some shots he may not have been able to had De La Hoya not decided to take the rounds off. In the end, Trinidad was awarded the extremely controversial decision win, and De La Hoya’s undefeated record died that night, and so did his drive to win the big fights.

Since that loss, De La Hoya has failed to win any of his big fights, except for his fight with Fernando Vargas, in which De La Hoya used his speed and boxing ability to pick apart the ferocious Vargas to stop him in the 11^th round of a great fight, but still, that fight was more of a personal ordeal than a professional conquest, I am mainly referring to the big the fights, the money fights, the fights in where he was matched with someone equally as skilled or powerful.

Let’s list them, shall we.

Oscar De La Hoya vs Sugar Shane Mosley

June 17, 2000WBC & IBF Welterweight Titles
Mosley win by Split Decision

-Mosley was undefeated, and arguably in his prime, it was the best fight that could have been made in the 147lb division (at that time), and Oscar jumped at the challenge, but fell short in one of the best boxer/puncher matched I have ever seen.

Oscar De La Hoya vs Sugar Shane Mosley II

September 13, 2003WBA, WBA & IBA Light Middleweight Titles
Mosley win by Unanimous Decision

-Attempting to avenge his loss, Oscar took another crack at Mosley, but this time at 154lbs, although Oscar came up short, he still put forth an extreme effort, and most believe he won.

Oscar De La Hoya vs Bernard Hopkins

September 18, 2004WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO Middleweight Titles
Hopkins win via 9^th round KO

-Even with Hopkins being the much bigger man, De La Hoya proved his guts and took on the reigning 160lb champion, De La Hoya may have been knocked out (by a phantom punch, yes, I said it), but he still proved he wanted to take on the best.

Oscar De La Hoya vs Floyd Mayweather Jr.

May 5, 2007WBC Light Middleweight Title
Mayweather win via Split Decision.

-Floyd Mayweather was the #1 Pound-4-Pound fighter on the planet, undefeated, in his prime, fast, strong and extremely gifted, De La Hoya once again, elected to face the best, but once again, fell short of winning a big one.

Four major bouts, and De La Hoya fell short in every single one, Why? You may ask, well it’s simple, he lacked superiority against each opponent, they were just as good, if not better. But the fact that he was constantly put in the ring with men who were at the peak of their careers says a lot about De La Hoya, he never backed out of a fight, he indeed fought the best in his era, there were also fights in which many believe he won. Win or lose the big fights, there is no doubt in my mind that those fight made Oscar the fighter he will be remembered for being, they tought him how to fight the best, accept defeat, and embrace victory.

Now, on to this Saturday’s fight, Oscar De La Hoya vs Manny Pacquiao, “The Dream Match”

Okay, I’m constantly browsing the Internet and reading up on my boxing, daily, and after indulging in great articles written by some very experienced boxing analysts, I go on to read the comments posted on the article, some are very honest in their opinions, some know nothing, and others come off as smart alecks and know it alls. Well one thing is certain, no one will know the outcome of any fight until the fight is over, it’s not right to assume you know the outcome, but you’re to state your opinion and possibly back up your prediction with good facts. Sometimes you’re right, and sometimes you’re wrong, that’s just the way it is.

I for one, think that De La Hoya will not only beat Manny Pacquiao, but he will knock him out somewhere between rounds 8 and 9, and here is why.

Manny Pacquiao is a very good fighter, he has tremendous speed, agility and power, and has grown into a near complete fighter, at age 29, Manny Pacquiao is in his physical prime, beating every man who stands in his way, his only loss in the last 12 years was to Mexican legend, Erik Morales, but Pacquiao then went on to avenge that loss in impressive fashion, twice. Since his first fight with Morales, Manny Pacquiao has remained on the winning end of every fight, but I think his time is up, he’s fighting not only a much bigger man, but a more experienced man, a stronger man, and maybe even a man who’s carries the same amount of speed. Oscar has more advantages (in my eyes) than most would care to point out, De La Hoya is bigger, much bigger, and I think the fact that he’s coming down in weight will increase not only his power, but his speed, less weight to carry in throwing his combinations, plenty would argue that Welterweight is De La Hoya’s more natural weight, he did okay at 154, but failed to impress at 160, 147 is where he should be. Fighting at 147 is something De La Hoya hasn’t done since he fought Arturo Gatti in 2001, but still, there shouldn’t be much of a problem for De La Hoya coming back down, his last fight was in May of this year when he defeated Stevie Forbes at a catch weight of 150 lbs, this fight will take place 3 lbs south, which isn’t very much, this just might be the right weight, at the right time in his storied career. Another major factor in this fight is Manny coming up in weight, again, many will disagree, but Pacquiao will be fighting 12 lbs heavier than in his last fight, where he fought at 135 brutally knocked out David Diaz, but that was also his first time campaigning at 135 lbs, having won his most significant fights at 126 and 130 lbs. Not sure how much (if any) speed Pacquiao will lost in this bout, he seemed to still be very fast at 135 lbs, and his punches had a bit more snap and power behind them, but will an extra 12 lbs be too much to carry into a fight with a man of De La Hoya’s size?

I think so, Manny Pacquiao had almost more than he can handle in defeating Juan Manuel Marquez in both of their epic battles, both fights were scored very close and could have gone either way, most would also like to grant Marquez victory in the second fight, claiming he landed more of the clean effective punches, I would be quick to agree. The main reason Manny struggled with Marquez was because Marquez is an excellent boxer with good power in both hands, he’s a technical fighter who uses lateral movement, a very assertive jab, and works off it to throw and land crisp combinations, something Oscar has perfected throughout his boxing career. If Manny struggled with a fighter like Marquez, how can he expect to handle a fighter who possess the same skills, but is naturally bigger and stronger?

He simply can’t, De La Hoya will fight tall, he will not give up his height, he will use his jab, which I think will be the key weapon in this fight, Freddie Roach (Manny’s trainer) admits that his only concern is in fact De La Hoya’s jab, it is strong and possess a major threat to anyone on the receiving end. In order for Pacquiao to have success in this fight, he must close the distance, which will be an amazing feat, because he’s giving up not only 4” in height, but a whopping 6” in reach, which is a major, major factor, he will have tremendous difficulty getting close if De La Hoya sticks to his jab. I expect an over hand right and left hook to follow the jab of Oscar, but Manny is very quick on his feet, he will move as much as possible, and keep up the pace to test De La Hoya’s conditioning, which has haunted many times before.

I see a very energetic Pacquiao in the first few rounds, he will come in and show Oscar that this is indeed a fight, he will not wait to see what De La Hoya will do, but Oscar, on the other hand will be a bit more plodding as he finds his target with a razor sharp jab and right hand, all meant to disrupt Manny’s explosive style that comes at you from a southpaw stance. Manny Pacquiao is typically head hunter, he greatly believes in his power, only he knows that in this fight, a one punch KO is not in the cards, but a steady body attack that can take De La Hoya’s legs if the fight goes beyond 6 rounds, only problem there is when in fact Manny throws to the body, he will have to bend in, and that will only give De La Hoya more chances to land. But if in fact Manny can get his rhythm and make De La Hoya fight 3 minutes of every round, he can find himself on the winning end of a close decision win, but, if Pac-Man allows Oscar to set the pace and keep him at bay, it’s over. The most admirable thing about the Filipino star, is his style, he comes to fight, he comes to win and he loves fighting toe to toe, now who doesn’t like a fighter like that, no one, but I think his style, is perfectly suited for Oscar De La Hoya.

In the end, I see Oscar sending Manny to the canvas, and for the first time in 9 years, Manny will not beat the 10 count, not sure in which form the KO will come, either from a body shot, or a head shot, but Manny Pacquiao will be knocked out on December 6^th, inside 9 rounds.

I must say this, as always, this is boxing, anything can happen, I stand behind my prediction, and will admit when I’m wrong……stay tuned!!!

Ricky Hatton vs Paulie Malignaggi: Overview and Prediction

Tomorrow night, Manchester’s Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton takes on Brooklyn’s own Paulie “The Magic Man” Malignaggi in a 12 round Junior Welterweight Showdown between two of the best in the division, Hatton is coming off of a Unanimous Decision win over Juan Lazcano in May, Paulie fought on the undercard in a rematch against Lovemore N’dou in a not so impressive close decision win, that night set the stage for a bout that is to determine who is the best 140lb fighter in the world.

Since winning the number one spot in the 140lb division by beating the formidable Kostya Tszyu in June of 2005, Ricky Hatton has steadily declined as a fighter, most would not like to acknowledge this, but the fact is that he has since struggled to impress. Having beat only a couple decent 140lb fighters, Ricky made a courageous move in weight to challenge Luis Collazo for the WBA Welterweight Strap in June of last year, but had a hard time proving his worth at that weight, struggling to controversial win, and immediately moved back down to 140lbs. Soon after he faced a strong fighter in Juan Urango, and put forth a less than energetic performance, doing just enough to win, Hatton slipped away with a Unanimous Decision, that same night, Jose Luis Castillo made his 140lb debut, defeating Herman Ngoudjo, this victorious night for the two setup a showdown between them take place 6 month later. The fight was set for June, most figured it would be a classic brawl in favor of the brawler, Ricky Hatton, Castillo had a decent chance, but it would be hard to think his battle worn body can hang in there with the naturally bigger Hatton, and it couldn’t, Castillo was knocked out in the fourth round by a picture perfect left hook to the body. In a post fight interview with HBO commentator Max Kellermen, Ricky Hatton went calling for Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather, and edged himself towards a welterweight showdown with (then) the Pound For Pound King, but he got more than he bargained for, being knocked out in the 10^th round of a one sided fight. Since the loss, Ricky came back down (again) to the 140lb division and fought Juan Lazcano, again struggling to look good, Hatton was rocked a few times, but did barely enough to win, after the fight, many questions were raised about Hatton’s abilities to perform, having struggled with fighters he was supposed to easily beat, Can Ricky Hatton rejuvenate himself and get back on track? We’ll soon find out…

Paulie Malignaggi, the fast mouth fast handed boxer from Brooklyn, makes an attempt to take the number one spot by being only the second man to beat Ricky Hatton, But can he do it?

Over the years, Malignaggi has been working his way up the ranks slowly but surely, and after a few years of fighting nobodies, he finally got his chance at a title, he was matched with Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto for the WBO Jr. Welterweight title. Malignaggi spent a lot of time bad mouthing his opponent, building his reputation as a smack talker who’s bark is bigger than his bite, at the time containing a record of 21 wins, 0 losses with only 5 KO’s, he was no puncher. Come fight night, Malignaggi had a lot to prove, it was time to put up or shut up, but he immediately began the fight on the wrong track, he was cut in the first round by clash of heads and was dropped in the second round, it did not look good. As the fight progressed, Malignaggi was able to develop a bit of a rhythm, boxing very well, but it was his lack of power that allowed Cotto to impose his will. By the end of the fight, Malignaggi was bruised and battered, he sustained a broken cheek bone and broken dream, he had lost his first professional bout and fell short of his chance at a world title. Most fighters never come back the same after being brutalized by the hard hitting Cotto, it was no secret that Malignaggi was physically tested, he was forced to dig deep in that fight, and he indeed proved that he has a huge heart, and showed extreme courage in his loss. In his comeback fight, Malignaggi boxed his way to a Unanimous Decision against Edner Cherry, then immediately was awarded another shot at the dream, a world title, having to fight against Lovemore N’dou, Malignaggi put on a boxing clinic, completely outclassing N’dou to earn a clear unanimous decision, he was now the IBF champ.

So, who will win this Saturday’s bout? Will it be Ricky Hatton, or can Paulie Malignaggi uses his speed to neutralize Hatton’s mauling brawling style?

This is a good matchup, it’s a Brawler vs Boxer, it should be very entertaining, so long as Hatton is kept under control, he tends to do a bit more holding than we would like to see, both should be on their game, and the best man will win. I think this is Paulie’s time to shine, he is very underrated as far as skills, and Hatton has slowed over the past few years, I’m not sure he has enough left in the tank to control a pure boxer like Malignaggi. Hatton will try his normal hit and hold tactics, it will be up to Paulie to jab away and control Hatton’s aggression, as Mayweather proved, Hatton can be outboxed, but will the lack of power hurt Malignaggi’s chances? I’m not too sure, I don’t expect Malignaggi to use power punches much in this fight, he will simply throw more and land more, Hatton must get in close (as he usually does) to do what he does best, land to the body. Malignaggi has a huge heart, so don’t expect Ricky to knock him out, I see a pretty close fight within the first few rounds, but Malignaggi will take over in the later portion of the fight to win a decision. Hatton’s only chance it to land something significant to keep Malignaggi thinking, otherwise he will be out boxed by the fast handed Malignaggi.

Joe Calzaghe vs Roy Jones: Overview and Prediction

Tomorrow night, we will witness two of the best fighters take the grand stage, Joe Calzaghe vs Roy Jones Jr., a clash of two all time greats, fighting for the Light Heavyweight Title, it should be a good one. Or so we hope.

Although this fight seems as if it could be a good one, you can’t help but to think that this bout is also way past dude, Jones, for one is not the fighter he once was, in his prime his skills were un-matched, he was incredibly fast and powerful, he was a mystery. Once the best pound for pound fighter on the plant, is now a challenger attempting to work his way back to the top, coming off of a not so impressive win against a blown up Tito Trinidad in January, some feel Jones no longer has the desire to perform, but rather coast his way to decision wins, Can a Motivated Jones beat a man like Calzaghe at this stage in his career?

Calzaghe on the other hand is arguably the best fighter in the world today, with a professional record of 45 and 0, Calzaghe is a beautiful fighter, winning every bout with his unorthodox style and massive punch output, and not to mention deceptive power, Calzaghe now attempts to add another legend to his list of victims and retire as an undefeated champion in two weight classes. Throughout his career (and even now), Calzaghe was thought of as a protected European fighter, and one who built his record on nobodies or ex champions looking for a payday, fighting only on his home turf, Calzaghe was constantly criticized for seemingly avoiding the American fighters. His opportunity to silence those critics came the day he signed to fight the up and coming Jeff Lacy, an undefeated powerhouse out to take claim as the best Super Middleweight in the world. In that fight, Calzaghe put on a boxing clinic, absolutely destroying Lacy in 12 brutal rounds, Lacy, known as a huge puncher was beaten and battered, he was humiliated, I for one, have never seen such a dominant performance in a championship bout, Lacy looked like an amateur, and Calzaghe had made his point, he is the best Super Middleweight. Since then, Calzaghe has been more of a name in boxing, no longer a “protected” European fighter, Calzaghe continues to beat the best, he out classed a strong puncher in Mikkel Kessler, and a legend in Bernard Hopkins, next up is Jones, can Calzaghe defy the odds once more?

Prediction:

This fight just like so many others this year is a tough one to call, both men are superb athletes, both have been wanting this fight, and it is finally here, who can win it?

I think it is possible for either fighter to win, Calzaghe is unlike any other fighter you will ever see, but so is Roy Jones, both have their strengths, but as we know, only one has a weakness, that would Jones, as Calzaghe has yet to taste defeat, therefore he is still a puzzle one must figure out in order to beat. The first half of the bout will belong to Calzaghe, with his pressure and punch volume, I see Jones laying back a bit and relying on counter punching at this time, but towards the later rounds, Jones will turn it up and come out attacking, fighting in spurts early, Jones will have great moments late in the bout. Calzaghe must throw power punches, he must gain respect, and he must do from the first round on, Jones may want this fight in the middle of ring, but not be too aggressive, Calzaghe has great success when fighters attack, Jones must circle and keep his hands high, because Calzaghe has excellent speed and he throws from odd angles. It will definitely be a close bout, Calzaghe will be hurt in this fight, but there will not be much to worry about because Jones is no longer a finisher, Calzaghe will come back strong and dominate the same round. Jones will make it much more interesting than most think, but he can make it too interesting for himself, by staying in punching range and engaging Calzaghe, you never know, Jones may wind up on his trunks, who knows.

Calzaghe by Unanimous Decision.

Mijares vs Darchinyan: Prediction

Ooh ooh ooh, Mijares vs Darchinyan, YES!!

Okay guys, we have a hot one on our hands, this Saturday we’ll get to witness a classic Boxer vs Puncher bout of two excellent little men, Vic “Raging Bull” Darchinyan takes on the classy Christian Mijares for the IBF, WBA & WBC Super Flyweight Titles, this should be a great one.

Darchinyan is coming off of a 5^th round destruction of baby faced Dimitry Kirilov in what was a dominant performance by the hard hitting Armenian, Vic came out strong and confident, he seemed to tighten up his defense a bit and had wider variety of punches that eventually took out the stubborn Kirilov in dramatic fashion. It seemed that Darchinyan had been working on a few things, he didn’t load up as much and he looked far more calm and relaxed, but his offense was highlighted due to the fact that Kirilov elected to stand right in front of Vic and allowed him to land his bombs, there was no head movement whatsoever by Kirilov, he took Vic’s punches well in the first couple of round, but it was just a matter of time before they took their toll, and they did. It was a sloppy effort by Kirilov, he allowed Darchinyan to set the pace and dictact the action, something Mijares will NOT do, he is much too smart for that, you must box the puncher, not fight him. Christian Mijares is one of Mexico’s greatest pugilists, he’s sharp, quick and slick, he uses angles and his flowing footwork to virtually outclass his opponents, just ask Jorge Arce, who is a strong puncher with an iron will and decent boxing ability, but he (as many others) had no answer for Mijares’ skills.

Darchinyan has great power, but lacks defense and maybe the mentality to slip punches and use counter attacks to take control, he is more of a face first brawler who greatly believes in his power. But due to his stubborn attitude, he sometimes forgets that he’s in a fight and the other man in the ring (other than the referee) can punch back, that was exposed by Nonito Donaire when he brutally KO’d Darchinyan in the 5^th round of their fight back in July of 2007. Vic and his camp claim that Vic himself was the reason he was stopped, that he was winding up too much and he got lazy, well, that is the way he always fights, it just took someone to expose it, now it’s time to correct those flaws and remain disciplined in heat of battle, but even with that, will it be enough to beat a fighter like Mijares?

The only way I can see Darchinyan winning this fight is by landing a bomb and catching Mijares flush, but that will be difficult to do against a guy who uses angles and foot speed to avoid punches as Mijares does so graciously, Vic must get close, if he fights from a distance, it will be a long frustrating night, he will be countered continuously. Mijares wants to stay back and keep out of range, he will make Darchinyan miss, attempt a counter and be out of harms way all in one motion, if he decides to stand and fight, he can still getter the better of the two due to head movement and sharp punching, but you won’t see much of that from this little big guy, he is a master boxer who will (I believe) be too much for Darchinyan to handle.

Vic is a strong fighter, he hits hard, he will be in the fight until the end, watch for that right hand Mijares, it’ll getcha if you’re not careful!!

I think Darchinyan will be respected for the first half of the bout, that’s when he’ll be most dangerous, he is definitely a power puncher and will always have that puncher’s chance, but as the fight progresses, Mijares will warm up and begin to take control of the bout, with pure volume and punch accuracy, Mijares will discourage Vic and he will comfortably coast his way to a unanimous decision win.

Pavlik vs Hopkins: Prediction

Tomorrow night, future Hall of Famer Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins will not only take on a young lion in Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik, but he will be fighting the odds and the critics who say his 43 old body should not be competing at this level, But can he prove everyone wrong?

Over the years, Hopkins has became much more of a survivor than a fighter, he uses more skill than will, and at 43, why would he do anything different? He must preserve himself in each and every bout, I think Hopkins also questions his own abilities, he’s not too sure how he’s going to perform, or if he can actually do enough to win, he seems comfortable making the fights competitive, and along with that, he’s to man, just boring. Hopkins was once the reigning Middle Champ, breaking records on title defenses, but he feels he was never given the type of opportunities that should have came his way, after a long career, Hopkins still fights the best, but not to win, he’s not too worried about that, but does enough to show he’s still here, he does enough to get people thinking about him, he wants to remain in the mouths of the best, and he does.

On the other side of the ring, will be Youngstown’s own Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik, the current Middleweight king, a blue collared warrior with the strive to tangle with the best, he reminds me of an old fashioned brawler, he wants to stand toe to toe, he wants to fight and knows how to win. As good as Pavlik is, he’s still young and blew up quick, he went from a prospect to a contender to the undisputed Middleweight Champion in the same year (2007). Now with a record of 34 wins and 30 by way of knockout, he attempts to add the name of a legend to his growing list of victims. But can he?

Prediction: Kelly Pavlik is fun to watch, he comes in to fight, he doesn’t run or dance around, he’ll be there and he won’t let you rest. Blessed with tremendous power, Pavlik throws a beautiful left right combo that floats off his shoulders, although that’s his bread and butter, I think he must hold back from throwing that combo as much, Hopkins will use it against him with that sneaky right hand. Hopkins is very crafty, he knows every trick in the book and is never shy to use them, he doesn’t have one punch knockout power, but it’s the way he throws his punches, they hurt because his opponents don’t see them coming (ask Joe Calzaghe). This will make Hopkins dangerous for the first half of the bout, and now with Hopkins having to preserve his energy early for the second half of the fight, he can vulnerable in times when he lays back and attempts to cruise through some rounds, that’s when Pavlik’s pressure can further wear down Hopkins. Kelly is strong, tall and lean, and he fights tall, which is a key element for him in this fight, but, he tends to come straight forward rather than give angles, Hopkins is too experienced to let him get away with it, Pavlik must circle and stay light on his fight to make Hopkins miss.

I see a very slow passed battle for the first few rounds, Pavlik will up the pace around rounds 4 and 5 when Hopkins does less to conserve energy, but Pavlik also can’t get too confident or over anxious, Hopkins knows how to take away a fighters best punch, if Pavlik indeed starts to land the left right, he then must mix it up and not be so predictable. Also, Pavlik must work the body, Hopkins takes a good shot to the chin, but we don’t know much about his 43 year old rib cage. Now for Hopkins to claim victory, he needs to just be him, hit and hold, tie Pavlik up and frustrate him, use that sneaky right hand when Pavlik leans into his punches.

As much as I want Pavlik to win, it’s not guaranteed nor easy, he must be careful in there, old Hopkins can still throw down. I still go with Pavlik via Unanimous Decision. But…but, don’t be surprised if he has to get off the canvas to do so.

I stand by my prediction, but like I said before, and I’ll say it again, this is boxing, anything can happen! Stay tuned.

October 11th Predictions: Peter vs Klitschko – Dawson vs Tarver

Showtime has fight night for us this Saturday, with an early taping in Berlin of Peter vs Klitschko and then a later bout in Vegas with Dawson vs Tarver, with nothing much going on for me this weekend, I think I’ll be slouched on my couch with a cold brew in my hand.

These are pretty interesting bouts, I’m not a really a fan of either of these fighters to be honest, the only one who interests me a bit is Klitschko, and only because he’s coming back from a very long layoff to fight a current world champion. But, since I’m a huge boxing fan and I’m sure many are buzzing about this Saturday’s bouts, I have chosen to write my predictions on both matches.

Peter vs Klitschko

This is a tough one to call for me, Peter hasn’t impressed me at all, but he’s been winning, and that’s all that matters, only this time he’ll be fighting an experienced taller foe than he’s ever faced, sure he beat veteran James Toney, but that’s irrelevant here as Toney isn’t a really impressive Heavyweight and who also lacks natural size.

With the long layoff and previous injuries that have derailed Klitschko’s attempt at a ring return, I find it hard to believe he will come in and blow away Peter as quickly as he would’ve have 3 years ago, ring rust will be a big issue, and also if he stays healthy in the fight.

I see a methodical yet quick aggressive approach from Peter, knowing that it may take Klitschko a few rounds to warm up, Peter’s best chances to get some work done (a possibly a KO) is early, between rounds 1 and 5 while Klitschko is trying to gain his comfort in the ring. I’m sure Klitschko will be in good shape, he never enters a bout unprepared, but how well will his aging body hold up against a young hungry champion? The rounds will tell. If Klitschko has done his work in the gym and shows up rust free (very doubtful though), he very well can score a vicious KO with that thudding right hand somewhere around the 6-7^th round, catching Peter coming in aggressively. I suspect Peter will be gunning for an early KO while Klitschko jabs and stays away, if Peter comes forward and abandons his jab he’ll be countered and knocked out, he must be very cautious and only unleash his bombs when an opening is visible. Klitschko will no doubt be extremely dangerous early, but if he can’t make something happen by rounds 8-9, I think it will be an uphill battle for him.

Overall, a good heavyweight match-up (for now) with either an early KO for Klitschko or an unimpressive Unanimous Decision win for the Nigerian (Peter).

Dawson vs Tarver

Now this fight intrigues me much more than the heavyweight fight, because in this fight, not only do we have an older former/current champion vs a young hungry champion, but Tarver (being the older fighter) has been pretty active, staying busy and has technically been preparing for this fight, and now it’s Showtime. Dawson, has progressed into one of the top Light Heavyweight’s in the division, undefeated and as of his last fight, battle tested, now can he gather all that he’s learned and put it towards beating Antonio Tarver? We shall soon find out.

This I believe will be a chess match until the middle rounds, I suspect both fighters will respect one and other to an extent, but once the feeling out process passes, there will be a boost in activity and a lot of leather swapping. Tarver is typically a slow started, he calmly walks to his opponent and fires off short combinations when in close, but (as of his last fight) I’m just not convinced he can pull the trigger anymore, I think he’ll eat a lot of punches while barely landing any of his own, because Dawson is fast and sharp. Although Tarver has slowed a bit, I’m sure he can bang, the last thing to go on an aging fighter is their power, and Tarver packs a decent punch, that will make him dangerous for most of the fight, but as Dawson breaks him down little by little, Tarver’s chances of scoring a KO will slip away.

I see this as a very competitive fight, and maybe not as crown pleasing as most may think, but it could still produce enough action to keep you watching. Look for the younger Dawson to do just enough to pull out a close victory.

I stand by my predictions, and will admit when I’m wrong, but this is boxing, ANYTHING can happen.

Mosley vs Mayorga: Prediction

On Saturday September 27, boxing superstar Sugar Shane Mosley takes on Nicaraguan brawler Ricardo Mayorga it what seems to be a fairly interesting match-up, Boxer vs Brawler. So, Who wins?

Well, we all know why Sugar Shane Mosley is facing Mayorga, just to get us thinking that he’s facing a dangerous puncher, that he’s not lost the willingness to face such a fighter, Yeah Whatever!! But to be honest, this fight hardly makes any sense, Mayorga has already been thrashed by hard hitting Felix Trinidad, and was iced in 6 rounds against the Golden Boy, and now Mosley wants a piece? Or just a confidence builder?

Let’s be honest, Mosley hasn’t looked that great in his last few fights, he struggled a bit with a washed up Vargas in their first fight, but came back to score a somewhat impressive knockout out in the rematch. Mosley then faced slick southpaw Luis Collazo in what to me was a boring fight, Mosley looked “Okay”, but not impressive, sure he looked fast, but Collazo is no Speedy Gonzalez. Then Mosley took on the always exciting, Miguel Cotto in what turned out to be a GREAT fight, Mosley looked good, but it was shocking to see him technically out boxed by the slower Cotto, surely not the fighter he used to be, Mosley clearly lost one of the biggest fights of his career, and now he faces a wild swinging tough guy.

Okay, Ricardo Mayorga is best known for not only beating, but knocking out the man who was the first to beat Mosley, he goes by the name of “The Viper”, Vernon Forrest. This was a time when Forrest was considered a star on the rise, having floored Mosely in route to winning the biggest fight on his career, then proving himself again in the rematch. But up against Mayorga, Forrest was no match, Mayorga came out strong, winging away with both hands, engaging Forrest and pressing the action, Forrest typically a boxer decided to fight, and that was his mistake, he was caught with a titanic right hand that put him down, Forrest never recovered. In the rematch, Forrest decided to box and stick to the game plan, well, Mayorga flipped the switch and decided to do the same, he boxed, and boxed well, beating Forrest at his own game, earning himself a well deserved points victory, these fights are the highlights of Mayorga’s career till this day, but at this stage in his career, can he beat or make it a competitive fight with a fighter like Mosley? We shall see.

This should be a very interesting fight, I enjoy watching both, Mosley with his speed and bouncy footwork, and Mayorga with his helicopter type attack, it should be a sanctioned street fight (hopefully =)

I’ve been reading articles, watching the press conference videos, and Mayorga looks to be in pretty good shape, so I don’t think Mosley will get in there and attempt to bang with the guy, regardless of Mayora’s wide punches that are often seen coming, there is a still chance one can land, and that’s a risk Mosley should not be willing to take. I think Mosley will box and pick his shots, that’s where he’ll have more success, picking Mayorga apart as he comes forward. Mayorga will do what he always does, he’ll come forward and bomb away, it will be surprising if he attempts to box with Mosley right of the bat, that’s often something he’ll resort to if his typical style fails him.

I see a close fight coming into the middle rounds, but Mosley will pick up the pace in the second half of the fight to win a decision. But watch out for Mayorga’s right hand, it can do some damage.