Tag: Boxing

Snippets On Arguably The Hottest Topics In The Sweet Science This Week

Note: They’re Back!!! The Snippets used to be a weekly feature on Standing-8; however, have had a lengthy absence. That said, they are starting again…Protect Yourself At All Times!

Camel Day Fisticuffs

From Plant City Florida tonight, on ProBox TV (or ProBox TV via Amazon)……

Batyrzhan Jukembayev vs. Ivan Redkach, 10 rounds, junior welterweights

Charles Harris Jr. vs. Kyle Erwin, 6 rounds, junior welterweights

Jonhatan Cardoso vs. Adam Lopez, 10 rounds, junior lightweights

Adrian Tillman vs. Jayleen Bullock, 4 rounds, cruiserweights

I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire, Part 1

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk undoubtedly produced the most dynamic ring walks in some time. I mean Fury dancing to Barry White’s My Everything, then Bonnie Tyler’s I Need A Hero, to Usyk’s stoic Cossack Warrior ice cold gait, it was magic from the start.

I Went Down, Down, Down And The Flames Went Higher, We (Standing-8) Were Wrong

In my pre-fight article titled, Fury v. Usyk, Six Degrees of Otto Wallin, And A Rope-A-Dope Alert (pinned to the site), I incorrectly picked Fury to win the fight. In my defense, several components of the article were close to what occurred in the ring; however, not what mattered most, the winner. This was the first time that I had picked against the Ukrainian Legend.

The Lessons Of Otto Wallin

In the aforementioned pre-fight article, I highlighted the significance of the Fury v. Wallin fight in shaping expectations. I drew parallels between Wallin and Usyk, emphasizing their similarity in terms of height, reach, southpaw stance, and physique, while noting the difference in their boxing abilities. I expressed confidence in Fury’s ability to leverage the valuable experience gained from the Wallin fight in the bout against Usyk. While acknowledging the challenges posed by Usyk, I conveyed an optimistic outlook, underlining Fury’s potential to navigate the fight successfully by applying the lessons learned from his previous experience. It should have been clear in review of the Fury v. Wallin tape, that if Wallin had such great success, then surely Usyk’s extreme will & skill would be the difference…..and it was.

Wasted Energy, Or Pounds, As You Will

The recent Usyk win not only marked a historic moment as our first UNDISPUTED champion in 25 years, but it has also added more fuel to the fiery debate of “who is the pound for pound best”. Now, let me step up to my soapbox for a moment. STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sure, it’s fantastic to engage in discussions about who truly reigns as the pound for pound best, or to compile our top ten lists, as has been customary in the sport for decades. However, this has escalated beyond reason. The constant banter on social media is downright exhausting. Instead, why don’t we simply celebrate each and every pugilist for their unique talents and achievements? Engaging in a healthy debate is one thing, but nowadays it seems that feelings are getting hurt simply because someone has a dissenting opinion.

Nine Lives….Will The Cat Survive The Tornado This Time?

This Saturday’s upcoming rematch between Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall promises to reignite the intense excitement of their contentious bout in 2022. With Taylor’s disputed split decision victory over Catterall still fresh, this eagerly anticipated rematch will undoubtedly capture the attention of boxing enthusiasts across the globe. Taylor’s previously unblemished record was marred by a unanimous decision (UD) loss to Teofimo Lopez last June, marking his sole appearance in the ring since his clash with Catterall. Meanwhile, Catterall’s two victories by UD last year, most notably a win against Jorge Linares, showcased his resilience and determination. As we eagerly anticipate this upcoming bout, it’s must see TV.

What I’m Reading.…..”Dark Trade: Lost In Boxing,” Donald McRae’s acclaimed in-depth look at boxing in the 1990’s. I actually got a copy back when I met James Toney several years ago, but hadn’t read it. That said, I did, foolishly at the time, ask James for a shot at the title. Toney was like “You better back up fool”, I went for the stare-down, my man was having none of it :). Cool Dude, Lights Out was too much.

What I’ll Be Reading Next (Just Pre-Ordered On Amazon:)… “The Promise Of Women’s Boxing..A Momentous New Era For The Sweet Science” Malissa Smith‘s “timely exploration of modern women’s boxing”.

Recommended Podcasts-

Crime In Sports- The perfect duo of James Pietragallo, and Jimmie Whisman, put their comedic spin on the topic. These dudes have me cracking up. There are several episodes on boxing. I thoroughly enjoyed the Sonny Liston 3-Part Series. Also notable, Ricardo Mayorga, Tank Davis, Floyd Senior & Junior, Johnny Tapia. Good stuff.

Power- Don King- Even though I knew most of the content, there were a few surprises. A must listen.

Fury V Usyk- Six Degrees of Otto Wallin, and A Rope-A-Dope Alert 

A legendary former cruiserweight champion, turned heavyweight champion, fights for the title of undisputed against their British born adversary, the division’s other belt holder.  

The boxing world correctly knows that the opening stanza is referring to this Saturday’s mega fight for the undisputed heavyweight title between, Oleksandr Usyk 36, (21-0 (14), 6’3”… 78”, and Tyson Fury 35, (34-0-1 (24), 6’9… 85”.      

That said, I wouldn’t fault the non-boxing world, or the casuals, as you will, if they believed it were referring to the November 1999 Evander Holyfield v. Lennox Lewis fight. Lewis bested Holyfield on that night to become the undisputed champion, the last that the division has seen.  

This Saturday night, ironically once again, for undisputed, a former legendary cruiserweight champion turned heavyweight champion, will knuckle up with another heavyweight champion from the UK. At the conclusion of the bout, we’ll be able to change the word “last” undisputed champion, to “reigning”. Assuming of course, the bout doesn’t end in a draw. 

The bout between Usyk and Fury has been fermenting for some time. The original date for the bout was slated earlier this year on February 17; however, had to be postponed due to a cut over Fury’s right eye, that he sustained during a sparring session. This cut, no doubt, can be directly related back to Fury’s bout against Otto Wallin. Six degrees of Otto Wallin. More on that later.  

As far as activity is concerned, Fury’s last fight was October 28, 2023, against Francis Ngannou, with two fights in 2022, TKO 10 Derek Chisora, and TKO 6 Dillian Whyte. One bout in 2021, KO 11 Deontay Wilder, one in 2020 TKO 7 Wilder, and two bouts in 2019, UD Wallin, TKO 2 Tom Schwarz.  

Usyk last fought on Aug 26, 2023, knocking out Daniel Dubois in 9. Usyk had one fight in 2022, a rematch and SD win over Anthony Joshua, one in 2021 UD Joshua, one in 2020, UD Chisora, and one bout in 2019, a stoppage of Chazz Witherspoon.  

In considering common opponents (1) Chisora, and other opponents each has faced, identifying potential insights into this bout, I couldn’t help but keep coming back to Wallin.  

Six degrees of Otto Wallin. The six degrees theory is that one person is connected to another through six or fewer acquaintances. Look no further than Wallin, who’s linked to Joshua, who’s linked to Klitschko, who’s linked to Fury, who’s linked to Whyte, who’s linked to Chisora, who’s linked to Usyk. Ok, ok, settle down, I know that I could have used any of the others instead of Wallin, or even a few other connections not listed; however, Wallin is key. 

A southpaw fighter with a size almost identical to Usyk; however, although a good fighter, not Usyk. As such, I adjusted my observations accordingly while reviewing tape of the Fury v. Wallin fight. That said, I believe there are relevant takeaways for what to expect this Saturday. 

If my review is correct, in fights against southpaws in his career, (7) seven to be exact. Fury has 3 stoppages, and 4 decisions. His last bout against a southpaw was in fact, against Wallin.   

In reviewing the tape of Fury v. Wallin, it became abundantly clear, if that version of Fury shows up on Saturday, he’s in deep against Usyk. From the opening bell, and for several rounds, Wallin, using his jab, was able to force Fury to fight off his back foot, backing him into the ropes repeatedly, and working Fury at different levels, body, chest, and head.  

The cut, as previously mentioned, occurred in the third round. A big open gash over the right eye of Fury. There is no doubt that the cut changed Fury’s approach for several rounds, as he pawed at the cut and wiped the blood away between punches.  

Over the next several rounds, Fury adjusted and did what he does best, moved, boxed, and parried. He attacked the body, throwing timely uppercuts, and straight rights. In addition, he fought extremely well coming off the ropes. Fury began to impose his will, and banked rounds on his way to the UD.  

As I watched the tape, I envisioned Usyk’s style and applied it to the success that Wallin was having, and I began to lean towards Usyk in this Saturday’s fight. If Wallin, again, a very good pugilist, (although a southpaw like Usyk with an almost identical size, not Usyk, there are levels here) can have that type of success against Fury, then surely the cards are stacked in the Ukrainian’s favor.  

I believed that to be the case until I looked deeper into what the Wallin fight taught Fury, and the adversities that he has had to overcome in his career.  The lessons of experience.  

The Wallin fight has prepared Fury for Saturday night, not in its entirety, but in the lessons learned. I believe that Fury will allow Usyk to have similar successes as Wallin did, pushing him to the ropes, and exerting energy throwing punches. Usyk is a volume puncher, so his output will be high, and will fall into the Fury game plan, which may be a rope-a dope type of approach.  Fury fights extremely well off the ropes and is well suited with his reach to counter the hard charging Usyk.  

Fury’s reach, speed, power, and boxing prowess will be the difference. I believe Fury will keep the stick in Usyk’s face, while working behind it, damaging the body, and looking for his timely power shots, most likely in the form of a straight right, or uppercut.  

In video review of Usyk’s past bouts, it is obvious that his opponents at heavyweight were well suited for his style. Slow & plodding in their approach, power yes; however, right in front of Usyk and there to be hit, due to the absence of skills in all the other categories a pugilist must possess. Yes AJ, is probably the strongest exception here and has a bit more skill, but due to the lingering doubt in his mind due to the Andy Ruiz debacles, he was a bit cautious in both bouts against Usyk, and it cost him. Ok, I’ll give you Daniel Dubois not fitting the narrative as well, but there are levels, and he has yet to show he deserves to be elevated.  

Before the Twitter/X faithful attack, me, lol, please understand that I am a big fan of Usyk, and all that he brings to the ring, just not in this matchup. I have followed he and Lomachenko, and all the outstanding Ukrainian fighters for some time. I favored Usyk in every heavyweight fight that he has had due to the matchup of styles, that were tailor made for him, as referenced previously.    

These styles allowed Usyk to excel with all the great tools that he has, with limited opposition.  

In this fight, he’ll have a very different skill set in front of him in Fury. A big that moves, has speed, and can use angles. Add power to the equation, and this matchup begins to look less and less attractive for Usyk.

A bit about adversity. Usyk has yet to face it in the ring (the body shot by Dubois notwithstanding, and yes it was legal), whereas Fury has on multiple occasions.  Usyk will no doubt face adversity in this one, and he is of a strong mindset, so it will be interesting. Fury will also face adversity against Usyk; however, as he has in the past, we know he will adapt.

Fury has been uncharacteristically mild in demeanor leading up to the fight, even going so far as to praise Usyk, now that’s different. Fury appears to be fully focused, as evident by his physical appearance, which is much leaner than we’ve seen him. Couple this with the massive decrease in his NSFW showmanship, and boisterous demeanor, and it screams focus. 

A disciplined Fury is the best big in the business.

When Fury fought Deontay Wilder, at least in the first two fights, Wilder was considered a legitimate threat to beat Fury. We arguably got the best Fury we’ve had in both fights. Wilder was a danger to all that he held dear, which is legacy for the Fury name. Usyk is the first fighter since Wilder to pose that threat, this time, it’s tenfold. Wilder can punch yes, but Usyk can box, and has sneaky power, as such he is a clear and present danger, arguably more than Wilder.  

This will be a very interesting matchup. As the saying goes styles make fights. It will be close at times, but each will have moments. A knockdown of each is not out of the question. In the end, I envision a strong start by Fury working behind the jab, and solid combination punching, with a focused attack to the body, softening Usyk up for the last third of the fight. Usyk will adjust after the first third of the fight and turn the tide a bit. Using his outstanding boxing skills, he’ll work underneath Fury’s reach and do damage. This is when Fury will conserve energy and use the ropes, channeling his inner Muhmmad Ali’s rope-a-dope. Usyk is a warrior and will go all out to stop Fury, but his aggression will be his poison and he’ll get clipped as Fury comes off the ropes. We’ll see him face the most adversity he has ever faced, and he’ll either go out on his shield, or hold on and lose by decision.

All that’s ever mattered to Tyson Fury is the legacy of all that he holds dear, his family name. Built from a gypsy’s cloth, he’s a warrior, and has been prepared for this moment, through trials and tribulations.

Going forward, Fury will face AJ, thus adding to the six degrees of Otto Wallin. 

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Lomachenko v. Haney…Dissected…..A Deeper Look 60 Seconds At A Time

“Hey, don’t you worry, I’ve been lied to,
I’ve been here many times before..”

“But minute by minute by minute
I keep holding on..”

-Doobie Brothers

In 2017, I dissected the Manny Pacquiao v. Jeff Horn fight, minute by minute, round by round, days after the fight, due to the controversy. (Link here if interested… Pacquiao v. Horn…Dissected…..A Deeper Look 60 Seconds At A Time – Standing-8)

Not scoring it and watching it in real time, I had thought Pac did enough to win. After the dissection at a granular level, nothing changed my mind, 115-113 Pac. A few weeks ago, we had arguably the most disputed victory since Pac v. Horn, in Devin Haney UD  Vasiliy Lomachenko.  

No sooner did the ring announcer bellow the words “And still…….”, an old familiar adversary from the lexicon came calling…..ROBBED.

You could make a case to bag and tag DM’s pen that entered the 116-112 (w/the 10th to Haney) score card and place it into the police evidence room but other than that, this was far from a robbery, a very close, strongly contested, strategical fight.

The fight poster showing both pugilists on a chess board, was an extremely accurate visualization, and unlike some pre-fight posters, this was art imitating life.

Again, I did not score the fight while watching it live but believed Loma had clearly won. Did I miss something? Did the judges have it right?  I needed a second look. (Disclaimer for my fight night impressions… I had to attend my wife’s college reunion on the same night out of town, and was relegated to watching it on my cell phone, oh how the times have changed, where you can rent a PPV, and watch anywhere, amazing…)

The ground rules are the same as the last time with the Pac v. Horn dissection… In my review, I’ll decide who I believed had the advantage in each third of the round and then determine which overall body of work I favored. By body of work, I’m looking at the four criteria that are assumed to be used when scoring a fight, defense, effective aggression, clean punching, and ring generalship.

Protect yourself at all times…..

Round 1-

  • First Minute- Haney’s the aggressor to start the round, moving Loma back, active jab, lands a small left hook, three rights to the body. Loma’s footwork, and feints, force Haney to work off his back foot momentarily, and lands a jab, Advantage-Haney
  • Second Minute-Sharp jab by Loma forces Haney back, Loma lands a quick three punch combination, Loma’s movement forcing Haney to be the aggressor, Haney missing several jabs, Loma is in range momentarily, but Haney is too slow on the release of the jab. Haney is missing to the body, due to Loma’s movement. Haney throws a double jab to the head, and a straight jab towards the body. All missing. Both fighters throw a small flurry, each negating the other. Advantage-Loma
  • Third Minute, Loma working off his front foot, moving Haney back. Haney throwing his jab as a range finder but missing, Loma lands a solid jab, Haney with a solid shot to Loma’s stomach, Loma’s movement still causing Haney to work off his back foot, Haney popping shots towards Loma, all missing. Loma lands a solid left. Loma ends the round backing Haney into the ropes, and throwing a flurry, one decent shot landing. Advantage Loma

Outside of the first minute, Haney did not do much when compared to Loma. Loma controlled the distance and backed Haney up with his footwork and movement. Although not a lot of significant punches landed, only 6 each according to CompuBox I favored the shots landed by Loma, combined with Loma’s footwork, that controlled the real estate, and thus the round, all things considered.  

Round to Lomachenko, 10-9 (Judges, all 3 for Haney)

Round 2-

  • First minute- A lot of postering to start, Haney moving forward, controlling the action, lands a right to the body, and hook to the head, circling Loma again, Haney grazes a hook off Loma’s jaw, Loma moves forward and lands a left and ties up Haney who is leaning over, causing the referee to tell Loma to get off his head. Haney with a right to the body. Advantage Haney   
  • Second minute– Haney moving forward, controlling the action, a right to the body that grazes Loma, and a stiff jab to the head. Both fighters land a punch, with Haney countering with another shortly after, Haney with a pawing jab that lands, Haney with a solid right hand to the body, Loma chopping with punches, nothing landing, Haney with another shot to the body, Haney slips a punch of the charging Loma, and counters Loma with a right, and then a quick jab, Loma then lands a three-punch combination, flurries a bit and lands a solid right. Loma ended this minute strong but Haney’s body of work over the entire minute was better.  Advantage Haney
  • Third minute- Both fighters very tactical, Loma landing a shot or two, Haney missing with a few, Haney lands a shot to the body, a left by Loma, a jab lands and a body shot misses for Haney, both fighters land a body shot, and Loma lands two punches to end the round. Advantage Loma.

Round to Haney 19-19 (Judges-All 3 for Lomachenko)

Round 3-

  • First minute- Movement by both fighters trying to gain the advantage of position to start, stiff jab by Haney, Haney then misses to the body due to the slick movement of Loma to avoid the punch, Haney then lands a right to the body, and evades a counter by Loma, right hand counter by Haney, jab lands by Loma.  Advantage-Haney
  • Second minute- Misses by Haney, again due to the Loma movement, Loma parry’s away, throws a few counters that Haney defends, jab by Haney, double left lands for Loma, lead left lands for Loma, Loma backing up Haney, Haney misses an uppercut, Loma counters with a scraping left to the body, both fighters hitting on the back of the head, Loma is warned, looping right to the body by Haney, Loma responds with a jab, then ends the minute with a grazing shot off of Haney’s head, Advantage Loma  
  • Third minute- Haney begins the third minute with a right to the body, Loma walking back Haney and lands a jab, a left hook by Haney follows, big right hook by Loma, walking back Haney after the sot and lands a jab, has Haney on the ropes and lands a body shot, left uppercut, and follow by a left and a right, so fast you have to rewind the tape, Haney lands a jab, Loma counters with a slight left hook, Loma lands a solid left, Haney grazes with a right, the fighters end the round with a few grazing jabs each.. Advantage Loma

Round to Loma 29-28, Loma (Judges, 2 gave the round to Loma, 1 to Haney) (**This is a round that should have been swept by Loma on the cards, he clearly won 2/3 of the round, and was close in the other. IMO**)

Round 4- 

  • First minute- Jab by Haney lands, Haney walking Loma back, lands a right to the body, movement by both fighters, another right to the body by Haney, jab by Loma lands, he spins Haney in the direction that he wants him to go, then grazes a few quick punches off Haney’s head, jab lands for both fighters, Haney counters with a glancing right. Advantage Haney.
  • Second minute- Both fighters circling, and using the jab as finders, Loma controlling the real estate, quick short sneaky check right hook by Loma. Jab by Haney, and hook to the body, as Loma backs him up and lands a left, quick choppy glancing left/right by Haney, Advantage-Haney
  • Third Minute- Loma walking Haney back and lands a lead left, quick right jab/hook lands for Loma, Haney counters with a right, Haney misses three consecutive jabs, they get tangled up, and Loma muscles Haney to the ground, Haney lands a good hook to the body. Advantage Haney  

Round to Haney 38-38 (Judges, all 3 for Haney)

Round 5- 

  • First minute-Haney backs up Loma with a one-two, Haney with a solid right to the body, followed by another. Advantage Haney
  • Second minute-Two right uppercuts by Haney, one solid, one glancing, three lefts for Loma. Two to the head, one to the body, left scores for Haney, right scores for Loma, Advantage Loma
  • Third minute-Right hook to the body for Haney, jab lands for Haney, both fighters exchange and land punches, Loma lands a left, then a one-two, body shot for Haney. Advantage Haney

Round to Haney, 48-47-Haney (Judges, all 3 for Haney)

Round 6-  

  • First minute- Haney walking Loma back, Loma lands a straight right, two body shots for Haney, straight left for Loma. Advantage Haney
  • Second minute- Haney with a body shot and short right, Loam with a solid three punch combination, Loma with a scoring left, and then a solid right jab, two jabs from Haney, Loma with a charging combination, Advantage Loma
  • Third minute- Haney walking Loma back with jabs, right to the body for Haney, two uppercuts graze Loma, Loma scores with a slight hook, another body shot for Haney scores, solid jab by Haney, Loma flurries, with Haney responding with a flurry, nothing significant lands for either fighter, . Advantage Haney

Round to Haney-58-56, Haney (Judges 2 for Haney, 1 for Loma)

Round 7-  

  • First minute- Loma movement controlling opening thirty seconds, then he lands a quick right, and double left, another right, two jabs by Haney and a hook, another jab by Haney, and a chopping right, Haney misses a few jabs. Advantage Loma  
  • Second minute- Loma spins Haney away, then lands a jab as Haney comes in, then a left right combination, both with body shots in the clinch, chopping right by Haney, body shot by Haney, two quick lefts by Loma, double jab by Haney misses, Loma with a lead left. Advantage Loma
  • Third minute- Haney walking Loma back, lands a right, and a body shot, countered by a Loma right, body shot by Haney, Loma with a combination to the head, Haney with a solid hook, two body shots by Haney, even exchange to end the round. Advantage Haney

Round to Loma (Judges- 2 Haney, 1 Loma) Haney 67-66, the card here through 7.

Round 8-  

  • First minute- Even postering, Loma with the crisper shots, a lead jab, then moments later a right-left combo, Loma double jab, one landing, followed with a small left hook, Haney with a right to the body. Advantage Loma
  • Second minute- Haney with a right hook, Loma with a double left, Haney pop shotting and missing, Loma forcing Haney to work off his back foot, Haney moving forward now, Loma with a jab, Haney with a body shot. Not a lot in the minute, Loma’s movement controlled the majority with a slight edge in punch quality, thus- Advantage Loma
  • Third minute- Haney missing a few jabs, then Loma counters with a solid jab, looping left lands for Loma, counter by Haney, body shot for Haney, one-two by Haney, jab, and a combination for Loma to end the round. Close minute, both had moments, slight edge for Haney. Advantage Haney

Round to Loma-76-76 (Judges 2 for Loma, 1 for Haney)

Round 9-  

  • First minute- Loma landing a few jabs, and pop shotting a few punches, slightly landing, nothing significant, but scoring, Haney missing a few punches due to Loma movement, Haney with a right to the body. Advantage Haney
  • Second minute- Chopping right by Haney, solid jab by Loma, walking Haney back to the ropes, Haney counter with a left off the ropes, left by Loma, both land a shot in a close flurry, solid straight left by Loma, grazing counter right by Haney, solid right to the body by Haney, Loma land a right/left combo and pursues Haney to the ropes and lands a four-punch combination, Haney lands a few jabs. Advantage Loma
  • Third minute- Haney the aggressor, both land a shot, solid left by Loma, Haney with two body shots, jab by Haney, Loma with a two piece, straight left by Loma, close minute, edge to Loma. Advantage Loma

Round to Loma-86-85 Loma (Judges All 3 to Haney)

Round 10–  

  • First minute- Lead right by Loma, Haney misses a wild hook to the body to end the minute. Not a lot of action in the minute. A lot of postering by both. Loma’s right was the best landed punch of the round, and his movement controlled the round, not allowing Haney to execute his plan. Advantage Loma-
  • Second minute- Loma with a sweeping hook to start a flurry, landing five solid punches on a parrying Haney, Haney with a jab, and a right, both with a small exchange to end the minute. Advantage Loma.
  • Third minute- Loma with a double jab, and a straight left, Haney with a counter left, Haney, and Loma both land a punch, Loma with a solid jab to end the round. Advantage Loma

Round to Loma-96-94 Loma (Judges 2 for Loma, and a perplexing one for Haney)

Note: This is the round that sent shock waves around the sport due to DM giving the round to Haney. Outside of the 11th, this was Loma’s most dominant round, and the uproar against DM was just.

Round 11-  

  • First minute- Loma lands a left to the body, and a solid right to the jaw, sending Haney backwards, moves forward, and lands a left hook, Haney lands a wrap around shot to the body, Loma with another solid left/right, causing Haney to hold, Loma heads in and lands a jab, Loma has Haney reeling back as he lands a left. HUGE Advantage Loma
  • Second minute-  Loma is walking Haney back, Haney lands a right uppercut grazing Loma, Loma counters with a scraping right/left combo, followed by a left, Loma walking Haney back with jabs, Loma with a left/right/left combo, straight right jab forcing Haney to the ropes, follows with a scraping left, a solid lead jab by Loma, Loma left to the body, right to the head, another left ot the body, right to the head by Loma, HUGE Advantage for Loma.
  • Third minute- Popping straight left by Loma, a lot of postering by both, Haney walking forward, Loma using movement, not allowing Haney to land, Haney with a looping right to the body missing the target, Haney has Loma backed into a corner, he does nothing, allowing Loma to use his excellent movement to escape, Haney with a reaching right to the body. Advantage Loma

Round to Loma 106-103 (Judges- All 3 for Loma)

***This was the most dominant round by either competitor in the fight. Lomachenko dominated the entire three minutes, and out landed Haney 20-2. ***

Round 12  

  • First minute- Haney the aggressor, a scrapping shot to Loma’s body, both trade a punch when they come in close, left by Loma, right by Haney, solid right to the body by Haney, followed with a left hook.  Advantage Haney
  • Second minute-  Solid right by Haney, Loma flurries, mostly missing/blocked, straight left to the body by Loma, right by Loma, combo by Haney, combo by Loma. Close minute/slight edge to Haney. Advantage Haney
  • Third minute- Loma with a left uppercut, body shot, and a solid combo, Haney counter up and under to the body, body shot by Haney, left jab by Loma, a repeat, body shot by Haney, left by Loma, two body shot by Haney in close, right by Haney, Loma with a solid right, and Haney with a solid jab to end the round. Advantage Loma

Round to Haney (Judges-All 3 for Haney)

Standing-8 Final Scorecard- 115-113 for Loma.

After a thorough review, we still have Lomachenko as the winner. I had believed this was a very close fight while watching the fight on PPV, and nothing changed in my minute-by-minute review if only to reinforce that fact.

A draw or slight edge to Haney would not have been out of the question if one favored his body of work in the close rounds, of which there were many. As such, one could make a case for the 115-113 cards in Haney’s favor, not the 116-112.

There have been worse calls in boxing, and this was far from corruption. Just a lot of very, very close rounds by two skilled fighters. I had the advantage of dissecting it by stopping the tape, and being able to see what the eye may have missed, or mind did not process, sometimes, the same few seconds reviewed over, and over, and over.

As the adage goes…to take the champion’s title, you must beat the champion…. I felt that Loma’s movement, ring generalship, defense, effective aggression, and clean punching, did just that. Loma was the smaller fighter but mostly fought like the bigger fighter. Haney was supposed to be the stronger fighter, but Loma exhibited many reasons to dispute that ideology. Haney is the younger fighter, by Loma appeared more youthful, especially in the second half of the fight. Quite simply, Loma closed the show.

The Matrix Reloaded, Game Set Match…….

Snippets On Arguably The Hottest Topics In The Sweet Science

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Cinnamon Power

On Saturday night, Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1 32 KO) was disciplined and calculated in his unanimous decision win over Miguel Cotto (40-5 33 KO) to capture the WBC strap. He pressed forward for most of the fight and used his size advantage to walk down Cotto, stunning him on more than one occasion.

The difference in power was evident. Canelo was walking through most of Cotto’s bombs whereas Cotto was visibly bothered by what he was receiving.

It wasn’t a secret that for Cotto to be successful in this fight, he would have had to box brilliantly.

The scores, 119-109, 118-110, 117-111 would lead you to believe that he had trouble doing just that. On the contrary however, while there is no argument here that Canelo was a UD winner, Cotto surely did enough to win more than one or two rounds.

Standing-8 scored the fight 115-113 Alvarez. Yes there were several close rounds but Cotto’s movement, defense, and counter-punching should have been given the benefit in those rounds.

Talk is heating up for Canelo and Gennady Golovkin and it could be as early as May….on Cinco De Mayo weekend.

 

Rigon-Doh!!!!

Guillermo Rigondeaux (16-0 10 KO) is one of the top fighters in the game but his performance on Saturday night looked more like a sparring session. The “sparring partner” in this case was opponent Drian Francisco (28-4-2 22 KO).

Rigondeaux landed less than ten punches a round and looked a bit rough in his usually fluid movement. He took the fight on short notice and had not fought for almost a year so I guess there are excuses to be found.

Rigondeaux was never in jeopardy of losing the fight but for a fighter who has struggled to gain fan appeal due to his defensive style, this performance was an epic fail.

Why We Love Boxing

Boxing sometimes parallels the metaphors of life. On Saturday night, Francisco Vargas (23-0-1 17 KO) was slowly losing his fight with WBC super featherweight champion Takashi Miura (29-3-2 22 KO). The bruised and worn challenger refused to quit. As in life when your back is against the wall and the odds seem stacked against you, you either rise to the challenge or fail.  

Miura had dropped Vargas in round four and had continuously battered him. Vargas was also giving as good as he was getting but seemed to be wearing down.

Miura again had Vargas in trouble at the end of the eighth and it seemed Vargas would be in big trouble in the ninth.

As the bell sounded to start the ninth, Vargas, with his right eye shut and protruding from his head, found a way with the odds against him.  Vargas dropped Miura with a monster right.

Miura was hurt bad but got to his feet as Vargas landed a brutal combination causing referee Tony Weeks to jump in and stop the fight.

Although there had to be a loser, they were both winners, two warriors giving their all for the love of the game.

 

Southpaw Has A New Name And It’s “Z-U-R-D-O”

Gilberto Ramirez (33-0 24 KO) is a rising star in the super middleweight division and has secured a title shot after his unanimous decision win over Gevorg Khatchikian (23-2 11 KO).  He is now the WBO’s mandatory challenger for Arthur Abraham’s strap after Abraham’s defeat of Martin Murray on Saturday (see below).

Hector Zapari and Zapari Boxing/Promotions have brought Ramirez up at an excellent pace slowly raising the level of competition with each fight. On the journey to his title shot, they have matched him with tough solid opponents who have challenged the young kid by putting him in uncomfortable situations forcing him to find a solution. He has passed every test and each fight he looks to be getting better and better.

Ramirez is 6’2 with a 75” reach but looks even bigger in the ring. So many things to like about Ramirez, how he destroys the body, throws nice combinations with unique punch selections, and is always in attack mode looking to end things. I still remember the uppercut from long range that he knocked out Junior Talipeau with, a thing of beauty.

As he moves forward, he would benefit from using his physical advantages a bit more. He tends to fight small and not use the jab consistently. With his dimensions, a paralyzing stick would be a massive weapon. In addition, although he has a solid beard, a tighter defense to guard against those overhand rights would serve him well.

Canelo’s win over Cotto has catapulted him to Mexico’s favorite darling but Ramirez may very well be giving him a run for his money very soon.

Always A Groomsman, Never The Groom

Murray can’t catch a break. He has won the intercontinentals, the silvers, the commonwealth’s, but just can’t seem to capture the World. Well, unless it was the interim title that is.

On Saturday, he lost out on the WBO super middleweight strap to Abraham by split decision, 115-112 112-115, 111-116. Murray started well but couldn’t sustain his effort throughout although he  landed some telling shots which were few and far between. In addition, he was deducted a point in the eleventh for using his shoulder which seemed to eliminate any momentum in the final two frames.

So, Murray again loses out on a chance at a World title. He has three losses and one draw in his career, all in World title fights.

 

BREAKING……The Heavyweight Champ Is Fighting!! The Heavyweight Champ Is Fighting!!

“I can lick any sonofabitch in the house” quipped John L. Sullivan in the late 1800’s. He was a bad man, the heavyweight champion. There was a time when the world stopped when the heavyweight champ was fighting, times have changed.

A casual most likely would have known that Canelo v. Cotto was happening last Saturday but doubtful they would know about the week’s heavyweight tilt.

This Saturday WBA, IBO, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (64-3 53 KO) will face Tyson Fury (24-0 18 KO) for all the hardware sans the WBC.

Fury will actually have both a height and reach advantage which could make things interesting. He’s generally plodding in his approach and if memory serves he was floored by cruiserweight turned heavy, Steve Cunningham. Granted Fury won by stoppage but if Cunningham’s power stunned him, a Steelhammer will be big trouble.

Let’s just hope Fury’s best act against Klitschko wasn’t his impersonation of Batman.

 

Officer, I’d Like To Report A Robbery……Weighing In On The Lara/Alvarez Debacle

 

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Better late than never….I was finally able to see the replay of the Canelo Alvarez v. Erislandy Lara bout last night. I had planned on watching it live last Saturday; however, in route home from vacation, my flight was delayed and I exited the airport for home as the fight started. I was fortunate enough to not be tasked with the driving responsibilities and was able to follow the fight on social media, Twitter more specifically. I follow many tweeters who are directly involved in the sport and continually refreshed my phone to keep the updates coming. This would be interesting, watching the fight through the eyes of the social media world before watching it myself. See what others are seeing as detailed in their tweets and what feelings they are having about the fight in the exact moments it is occurring; some at the fight, some watching on PPV, some past/current fighters, some boxing experts, and some the casual fan. I wanted to see if the majority opinion would match the judges at ringside.

As I watched each update it was evident early on by the accounts of others that Lara was winning this fight. Other than tweets about Canelo’s body work, all indications in the early and mid rounds were that Lara was clearly out boxing Alvarez. This was the overall and dominant consensus of the round by round updates. The tweets then took a slight turn and favored Canelo’s more aggressive attack for a round or two but again returned in favor of Lara. After reading tweets that said the fight had ended and that it would go to the scorecards, it seemed clear that Lara was the winner, according to overall opinion of those I was tracking.

As it turns out, that is not what happened and again a scoring controversy reared its ugly head in a big fight, complete with another “what fight were you watching?” scorecard submitted by Levi Martinez, 117-111 Alvarez.

It was evident that this was a close fight. All of the tweets would suggest as much but I now had my chance to watch the replay and see if the “world” had lied to me or if the judges had gotten it right.
As I watched the reply, as each round started, I played my own “game within the game”, give Canelo 10 points and make it Lara’s job to change my mind. Lara did a pretty good job of convincing me as I had him winning 8 of the 12 rounds, 116-112 Lara. Actually it was pretty simple to score. Lara’s lateral movement and ring generalship were the difference in my review. I don’t ever remember seeing Canelo swing at air so many times. Lara’s movement made Canelo reset over and over. Canelo stalked Lara but did a poor job cutting off the ring. Canelo’s best work was done to Lara’s body, he threw damaging punches when he was able to corner Lara but his inability to land punches to the head was due to Lara’s excellent movement. Lara scored beautifully with sneaky straight rights and lefts, solid jabs, and timely power shots.

It’s called the sweet science for a reason, hit and don’t get hit. Lara did just that. For those proponents who felt that Lara “ran” would probably find it interesting to know that Lara landed more punches. Pretty hard to outland your opponent if you run. Another favorite of the proponents is that Lara would not engage toe-to-toe with Canelo, so in their logic Lara should play to his opponent’s strengths putting him at a disadvantage. Good thing they don’t manage fighters for a living.

The bottom line is Lara won this fight and it’s a shame that the scores didn’t reflect that. It’s ok if the rightful winner is awarded the victory, that’s the way it’s supposed to work.

Snippets On Arguably The 5 Hottest Topics In The Sweet Science This Week

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1)      A New Sheriff in Town? Election This Saturday

The Sheriff of Nottingham, aka Carl Froch , aka, The Cobra will be back in action this Saturday in the much anticipated rematch against George Groves. Their first fight which took place last November 23rd in Manchester was an epic battle. Froch appeared to underestimate Groves and was knocked down in the first round and out boxed for the next several rounds before Froch applied pressure and TKO’d Groves in the 9th in a controversial stoppage. In this rematch, I don’t see Froch making the same mistake and will use Groves’s aggressiveness and confidence from the first fight against him. My vote is for the incumbent.

2)  Fatburger, The New Grand Garden ?

As the story goes, Floyd Mayweather and rapper T.I. used some “verbal judo” to sort out a few differences amid some thrown chairs, expletives, and reportedly some punches.  Apparently, prior to the Mayweather encounter, T.I. was involved in a scuffle with security at a pool party when he was not allowed in.  He probably was looking for inspiration for a new flow. Maybe he found it and will call his next hit “Must’ve forgot what I do for a living”

3)      Kryptonite, At Least for a Moment

Andrzej Fonfara gave Adonis Stevenson a battle last Saturday night and even dropped the champion in the 9th round. Superman got off the canvas and won a unanimous decision but one thing’s for sure, if he brings that effort against either Bernard Hopkins or Sergey Kovalev, he leaves the ring without his belt.

4)      Real Life Rocky

Matthew Sadd Muhammad passed away this week at the age of 59. A brawler out of Philadelphia who gave fans their money’s worth in every fight.  They don’t make them like this Hall OF Famer anymore….RIP Champ.

5)      Return Of The Pilipino Flash

This Saturday marks the return of Nonito Donaire. He finds himself in a crossroads fight against Simpiwe Vetyeka. This is not an easy fight for Donaire against the champion Vetyeka, he actually will come into this fight as the underdog.  Donaire, Fighter of The Year in 2012, could resurrect his career with an impressive performance here.