De La Hoya vs Pacquiao: Bad For Boxing?

Okay, there was so much talk in last couple month or so of De La Hoya picking his opponent for his supposed “Last” fight, but everyone must remember, before the outstanding Cotto vs Margarito clash, De La Hoya went as far as to say that he would be willing to face the winner of that bout, his comments of this were intriguing, imagine, De La Hoya vs Cotto, or De La Hoya vs Margarito..??? either match could produce great action and suspense, and overall, a great fight. Well, moments after Margarito destroyed the once unbeaten Cotto, I knew deep inside that De La Hoya would run and hide, and just a I thought (and most did also), De La Hoya no longer showed interest in a fight with Margarito as he opted to “Search” for an opponent. But why search? The man you claimed you would face is right there, willing and able, I guess it was the performance that Margarito put forth that scared away the Golden Boy, the determination, the will, the power that De La Hoya would be so frightened to stare down at this stage in his career. Let’s face it, Margarito would put up a great fight against Oscar, he may win, he may not, that’s debatable, victory for Margarito is not guaranteed as De La Hoya is still well preserved and seemingly very sharp for his age. Oscar De La Hoya once was a fighter who ducked no one, he fought everyone, working his way up to the top (as most do) by beating one great fighter after another, But why won’t he fight Margarito?

Business point of View:

We all know that Oscar De La Hoya is one of the most beloved, popular, accomplished and successful boxers in history, he has done extremely well, with the help of Bob Arum and Top Rank early in his career, De La Hoya became a sensation, a Mexican American ICON and a boxing celebrity, everyone wanted to see him fight, he just had that essence in the ring, he had “It”. After his split with Top Rank, De La Hoya used his career acquired knowledge to form his own promotional company, Golden Boy Promotions, in which he has an increasing stable of excellent fighters, De La Hoya, once a gallant boxing champion, is now a straight up Business Man out for huge piece of the pie. Once a fighter taking on the best, is now a part time boxer looking to make the most money possible for each and every fight. Surely one would think Bob Arum and Golden Boy Promotions can work something out to make the fight worthwhile for both Margarito and De La Hoya bout, the money is there, although Margarito may not be much of a draw, his popularity definitely improved with his career defining win against Miguel Cotto. So, with all action fighter like Margarito up against a PPV magnet like De La Hoya, Wouldn’t that be a great event? Well yes, for a boxing enthusiast, but not for the average person, attention from them requires a worldwide event like the one that broke world records when De La Hoya faced (then) Pound for Pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. last May, De La Hoya could not get nearly the same results against a fighter like Margarito, The answer is simple really, not ENOUGH money to be made and too much of a risk!!!

A Fans Point of View:

Okay, for his performance and current stature in the Welterweight Division, Margarito deserves a shot at De La Hoya, although “deserves” can be misleading, Oscar also went as far as to say he would love to take on the winner of the Cotto/Margarito fight, well the winner is willing and able. Over the years, Margarito has been proving himself over and over, and maybe not against the best competition, but still, he’s winning, and that’s the most important thing. But after solid wins over Kermit Cintron (twice) and Miguel Cotto, Margarito has arrived, virtually the toughest man in boxing today, blessed with a big frame, iron chin and unbreakable will, Margarito is the man to beat in the Welterweight division. Now that he has a great win over a previously undefeated powerhouse, Margarito is left without an opponent (but may end up fighting Mosley in January), after his bout with Cotto, Margarito attempted to call Oscar’s bluff, and with a few words in Spanish, he basically asked Oscar to prove himself and stick to his words and make a fight with him for the fans, for the Mexican people, but it didn’t work, it wasn’t enough to draw the popular De La Hoya. Oscar is one to always claim that boxers and promotional companies need to do the right thing for boxing, make the dream match-ups a reality, bring them to fruition, but he never takes his own advice when he’s involved, because if he did, he would be facing Margarito in December instead of a lightweight in Pacquiao. This is what ruins boxing for some, this is not the way it is supposed to be, De La Hoya can fight whoever he pleases, it don’t matter who, what, where, when or why, because it’s De La Hoya, it’s just how it is and we have to accept it, now isn’t that sad? Sure De La Hoya/Pacquiao is going to be huge, probably much bigger than “The World Awaits”, but do we really need it? Is it right?……NO!!!!! All that these type of fights do it draw attention

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.

Vazquez and Marquez: They Have Given Us Enough!!

There is still much talk about the epic battles between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez, how can we ever forget, the most recent rivalry in boxing that produced three of the best fights in history, these two men spilled their guts and hearts out for us to watch, they battled through hell to show us what they were made of, it was the most amazing display of skill, will and guts that I have ever witnessed in my entire life. With all that Vazquez and Marquez have given us while sharing the ring together, there are still talks about them meeting again sometime next year for a fourth time, now, Is a fourth bout really necessary? What can a fourth fight produce that the other three haven’t?

In their three wars, Vazquez and Marquez produced enough action to put Arnold Schwarzenegger’s movies to shame, both fighters have given us more than we can wish for, after such courageous efforts by both men, How can we, as human beings and boxing fans, Demand More? That is just wrong, they will be sacrificing themselves for us, they were clearly made for each other, their styles are perfectly suited for greatness, greatness that they have already produced, we know they have what it takes, let us show us in other ways.

With so many other possible match-ups in the 122lb division for either man, it would be a shame to see them waste themselves away on each other, imagine a fight between Vazquez and Ponce De Leon, or Marquez vs Juan Manuel Lopez, either of those fight would be huge, and both are capable of winning. I am going to keep this entry short, there is not much one can say about these two men that we don’t already know, let’s just hope that they enjoyed their nice long rest, let’s hope they come back to face the best at 122, let’s hope they reach new heights by taking on other great fighters, they do not need to fight again, we know enough.

To Vazquez and Marquez, Thank you so much for giving us all that you have, you guys are truly great.

Vic Darchinyan vs Jorge Arce 2009?

This is one fight that we are all hoping does in fact come through for us, it’s way past dude, as I wrote an entry before hoping this fight happens (HERE). Its exciting to know that a guy like Darchinyan is not afraid of anyone, and is willing to fight the best, this is what it’s all about, Arce vs Darchinyan will be a Hagler vs Hearns type of fight, it will be exciting while it lasts.

In his last fight, Vic improved his defense as well as offense when he ripped through slick quick Christian Mijares in what was a near perfect performance by the Armenian, he completely dominated the fight and dictated the pace, and ended the fight like the champion he is, via 9^th round KO to close the show. Since his KO loss to Donaire, Vic vowed to come back stronger and better than ever, so far, he seems to be keeping his promise, he is now the first fighter to unify the Super Flyweight Titles, and looks to move forward and face Mexico’s Jorge Arce.

Let’s hope this fight gets made, it will be a great opening of 2009.

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.

The Ghost Buster

On Saturday October 18th, Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins showed the boxing world why he is one of the best boxers of all time, putting forth a clinical performance to hand Kelly Pavlik his first professional loss, WOW!!.

From the opening bell, Hopkins took immediate control of the action, firing off combinations and landing at will, he was not only beating Pavlik to the punch, but he was actually hurting him, he was busting him up and making him look ameaturish. It was amazing to see this old guy whoop on this young hungry champion, Pavlik had no answer for anything Hopkins did, it was pretty bad, there was a point in the fight where you thought that Hopkins would actually stop Pavlik, it was that bad. Credit to Bernard for taking this fight after so many turned it down, Pavlik is a huge puncher with an iron will, but the only thing Pavlik was allowed to display that night was his will, as he took numerous hard blows by the legend over and over again, but he kept coming forward, never given a chance to land his own punches, the Ghost was dominated.

Since this bout, I’ve been searching my favorite boxing forums, and there are a lot of people turning their backs on Kelly, just after his first defeat, but let’s face it, Pavlik didn’t lose to a nobody, nor a B level fighter, he lost to a living legend, a boxer of many styles, a rugged veteran who knows how to win. Also I see a whole lot from the Hopkins fans, begging that Hopkins be awarded a rematch with the last man to beat him, Joe Calzaghe, and all claim that the outcome would be very different, that if Hopkins would fight Calzaghe in the same style, he would destroy the Welshmen, but I respectfully disagree, and I will tell you why.

Okay, taking nothing away from Hopkins’ effort in his bout with Calzaghe, he made it close and debatable to some, he is without a doubt a great fighter, but he will never beat a man with Calzaghe’s style, it is just not well suited for a boxer like Hopkins. Most fighters are generalized by style, you have the banger’s, the slicksters, the boxers and the technicians. Many fighters do not acquire the all around skills to be considered a complete fighter, with of course the exception of a few, it’s just virtually impossible to have the x-factor and be able to showcase such a wide variety of traits and skill, there usually is a hole in every great fighters game, but it takes a certain style to expose it. Hopkins is the type of fighter that relies on his experience to execute a precise game plan to defeat his foe, if he has a plodding banger coming forward, he usually mutes their offense using his own offense as defense, he doesn’t lay back and let the banger hit him, he uses their aggression against them, as he did to Pavlik and Felix Trinidad, both straight forward brawlers exposed by the crafty Hopkins. Calzaghe on the other hand is a more polished boxer with superior hand speed, he doesn’t come straight forward, but uses a rather large amount of angles and footwork to work around one’s defense, Hopkins knowing that he would not be able to match Calzaghe’s hand speed and punch output, used a more defensive strategy against Calzaghe, simply trying to counter the Welshmen rather than to stand in the center of the ring and let his fists fly, that would only open him up for counters and leads by the quick Clazaghe.

I don’t understand why so many think that a Hopkins victory is easily envisioned in a rematch, it will be the same fight, no way does Hopkins come out and throw that many punches (as he did with Pavlik) against Calzaghe, he’s not that dumb, Calzaghe is fast and packs a decent punch, if in fact Hopkins was to attempt a more offensive approach, I can easily see him getting beat by an even wider margin, Calzaghe is just too good.

Who will Hopkins fight next?

Stay tuned….

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.

Kimbo Slice: Another “Hype” Machine??

Internet sensation Kimbo Slice was once a bare knuckle boxer, fighting in backyards, parking lots and random gym’s for money, it didn’t matter where or who, he showed up, and showed up to win. Faster than you can say “Mama said knock you out”, Kimbo went from a fighting to survive, to fighting for pride, because is MMA, that’s what these guys are all about, they dedicate their lives to the sport and they discipline themselves to succeed, they fight for pride, but was Kimbo ready for this?

Kimb with no real background in boxing or MMA, fell into the life, with a huge promotional company and TV network behind him, it looked as though Kimbo would be huge, and he was. Instantly headlining events and rubbing elbows with the best in the business, Kimbo reminded me of a young Mike Tyson (only bigger), he’s tall, tough, rugged, sporting a gold “Grill”, bald head and grizzly beard, he is straight out scary looking. Like Mike, Kimbo is very entertaining to listen to and watch, very comical in his use of slang, and very explosive in the ring, he beats his opponents before they entered the ring by inflicting fear with is very intimidating demeanor.

With the MMA world behind him, Kimbo seemed destined for fame and fortune, but in the eyes of professionals and experts alike, Kimbo would without a doubt find out that it’s a totally different world fighting inside the octagon then fighting in a stranger’s back yard.

With only four fights in MMA, Kimbo was matched with MMA legend Ken Shamrock, a fight in which Kimbo was supposed to win and obtain recognizable name on his resume, but due to a gash suffered in last minute sparring, Shamrock was not cleared by the doctor to participate in the event. With a very distressed look on his face in a pre-fight meeting, Shamrock expressed his feelings on having to pull out of the fight, clearly upset, he stated that he thought Kimbo deserved a beating and he wanted to be the one to do it.

Well, in order to keep the seats filled in the arena, promoters searched for a last minute replacement, without looking very far, Seth Petruzelli who was supposed to fight in a light heavyweight bout, was chosen as the man who would face Kimbo in the main event. With only 12 hours notice, Petruzelli was ready for the challenge, not bothered at all by hype, Petruzelli rose to the occasion and new this was his opportunity to shine.

Standing face to face with Kimbo while receiving last minute instructions by the referee, Petruzelli looked calm and relaxed, Kimbo’s stare down didn’t faze him one bit, and it showed even when the bell rang to begin round one. Kimbo in a slightly crouched position moved in with his hands high, Petruzelli using a karate style leg block, Kimbo rushed in and was caught with a half-cocked right hand that landed on his cheek and down he went, Petruzelli instantly attacked, bombing away, Kimbo dazed and not protecting himself, rolled over on his back, Petruzelli continued to land to the face of Kimbo and the fight was stopped, just 14 seconds in, and it was all over for Kimbo.

Now, after being defeated by a last minute replacement in just 14 seconds, Where does this leave Kimbo Slice? Well, due to his marketing persona, I would say that he should very well bounce back, but I also think he will just become a fighter who everyone wants to fight, he will no longer be the man who many seem to fear. One must think that this loss was a fluke, that Kimbo just got caught cold, he wasn’t prepared for Petruzelli’s style, Well, sorry, but this was bound to happen, sooner than later.

Below is a link to a YouTube video of a bare knuckle fight between Kimbo and some random dude, watch closely, and just 42 seconds into the video, you’ll see Kimbo get hit with a short right hand that drops him, it was a flash knockdown, but still, he definitely felt that punch, so what did one expect to happen once he stepped into the ring with a man trained to punch, trained to fight and hurt you. Surely Kimbo would destroy every guy he met in the streets, but this was against stiffs, random guys without any sort of training, Kimbo lost a non sanctioned street fight to Sean Gannon, a former a former Boston Police officer who trains in MMA, it was a long hard fight, but in the end, Kimbo was flat on his back, exhausted, bloodied and beaten.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SYZpWp_wCs&feature=related

Watch the Kimbo vs Petruzelli fight in it’s entirety, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5ZxpbtcC8A

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.