I didn't realize that so much time lapsed since my last post. I meant to publish a post, back in June, about Sergio Martinez and Julio Ceasar Chavez Jr . I never, clicked publish :( In short, I didn't think that Chavez was ready for Martinez, but he convinced me otherwise. Although Chavez had a lackluster performance throughout the fight with Martinez, he made it through to the last round and almost KO'd a very tough fighter.
Anyway....
This is about Pacquiao and Marquez. An 8 year drama about two greatly matched professional boxers trying to win decisively that hasn't ended. That's right... hasn't ended. Last night, Pacquiao was dropped by Marquez in the 6th round with a perfect punch that dropped Pacquiao like a sack of potatoes. Perhaps, too perfect of a punch. Maybe so perfect, that some fans and critics will say it was just a short moment of carelessness on Pacquiao's part. I will not be surprised if Pacquiao is favored in Pacquiao vs Marquez 5. Either way, a short careless moment is all it takes. Juan Manuel Marquez was the decisive winner last night.
While I was watching the fight, I started to think that Marquez had to win by knockout. The announcers called shots for Pacquiao that were blocked and slipped. Marquez bled heavily early in the fight, from and on top of his nose, and Pacquiao was building momentum after dropping Marquez in the 5th round, so the doubt of Marquez getting a decision started setting in.
Marquez fought a great fight and executed a brilliant strategy. The knockout punch was a perfectly timed right hand power shot over a right hand faint by Pacquiao that is typically followed by a left hand that comes from some place that most boxers cannot figure out. Marquez is a phenomenal counter-puncher, and I am almost positive that specific shot was worked on in his training.
I mentioned Pacquiao vs Marquez 5. That fight is by no means official, but I think it will happen. Pacquiao wants it to happen, Bob Arum of Top Rank wants it to happen, fans would want to see it again and Juan Manuel Marquez ain't no punk.
Let's do it again soon boys! Marquez is 39 and I do not know if Nacho Beristain nor Freddy Roach can take that much more excitement :)
A conversation about boxing
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Another look at Pacquiao vs Bradley
Happy Father's Day!
Before going in to Pacquiao and Bradley again, I want to mention the great amateur competition in Albany, NY yesterday. Saturday was a great day of fights with 16 amateur bouts at 1PM and professional boxing later that evening. The crowd was great and we had the pleasure of a visit from the Chairwoman of the NY State Boxing Commission, Melvina Lathan. The referees, Mike Rivest, Rich Murray and Darrell "Clyde" Beattie did a great job.
This was youth boxing at its best. Great match ups, great effort and I saw some incredible potential. Although I saw several good fights, I thought Brandon Idrogo (Manny's) and Joe Cebolo (Shott's) showed some incredible patience and skill.
Ok, on to Pacquiao and Bradley...
Last week, as I watched the Pacquaio / Bradley match up, but my focus seemed to dissipate due a very busy week. After the 6th round, I was just "hanging in" to watch the rest of the fight. I was out at a local establishment that showed the fight. There were approximately 200 people.
The crowd's reaction to the split decision in favor of Bradley was loud and in disagreement with the outcome. I could only imagine what the crowd sounded like in Vegas. Can you imagine the roar of thousands of fight fans disagreeing and booing in unison as Michael Buffer announced the decision?
When the crowd around me voiced their outrage I wasn't surprised. The HBO commentators did a great job at leading everyone to believe that Pacquiao unanimously won the fight. If you paid attention to Jim Lampley and the commentating crew, June 9, 2012 on HBO Boxing could have easily been titled the Manny Pacquiao show. The commentary was so one-sided for Pacquiao that I started to wonder if the producer was from Manila.
First I have to say that judging the fight live is much more difficult than doing it in retrospect. I pressed play on my DVR and let the fight play without use of the slow motion or rewinding. Here is my score.
Decision: Bradley
When I left, I thought Pacquiao may have won the fight. This could have gone either way because many rounds were close. I found the 2nd, 5th and 7th rounds very close and difficult to judge. This fight could have gone to Pacquiao, Bradley or draw. Oddly enough, based on my scoring Pacquiao did not lead at any point in the fight. Yes, I know that will seem odd. That actually surprises me too, but I can't see that until I review my score card. Scoring is done one round at a time.
Overall, I thought Pacquiao had the better, more powerful shots, but I am not sure if he landed enough of them cleanly. Bradley fought 3 minutes each round and seemed to be the most active of the two throughout several rounds. Bradley may have edged out Pacquiao in Ring Generalship and also defense.
Bradley not only blocked punches, but also at times was very elusive with good vertical and horizontal movement. Pacquiao seemed to be slower than usual. His punches had pop, but his legs seemed to be heavy. Based on his physique, gaining almost no weight after weigh-in and his decreased activity, I wonder if he trained hard enough or if he is simply getting older. Either way, I am sure he will rev up for the rematch.
Two of the judges' scorecard disagree with mine in the 1st round, one disagrees in the 2nd, and one disagrees in the 5th. I almost disagreed with all of them in the 7th. I gave the 7th to Bradley, but I think it could have gone either way.
If you believe that the fight was not close. I challenge you to review these six rounds.
Round 1: Did Pacquiao win the round with three punches at the end of the round? I did not think so.
Round 5: Close round, judge 3 minutes of the round, look at defense and punches that actually land
Round 7: Close, all judges gave the round to Bradley
Round 9: Keep an eye on Bradley. He's busier. Check out his defense and Ring Generalship.
Round 10: Pacquiao slowed down this round
Round 12: Bradley edged out this round. He was in rhythm, looked confident and landing better
Some people believe that Bradley did not do enough to beat the champ. To some people Pacquiao clearly won, some agree and some say it could have been a draw. The only one that I do not agree with is that Pacquiao clearly won the fight. The margin was too small. In my assessment, the judges did a fine job.
What do you think? Did Pacquiao clearly win the six rounds that I have listed above? If you believe Pacquiao clearly won, please explain why.
Before going in to Pacquiao and Bradley again, I want to mention the great amateur competition in Albany, NY yesterday. Saturday was a great day of fights with 16 amateur bouts at 1PM and professional boxing later that evening. The crowd was great and we had the pleasure of a visit from the Chairwoman of the NY State Boxing Commission, Melvina Lathan. The referees, Mike Rivest, Rich Murray and Darrell "Clyde" Beattie did a great job.
This was youth boxing at its best. Great match ups, great effort and I saw some incredible potential. Although I saw several good fights, I thought Brandon Idrogo (Manny's) and Joe Cebolo (Shott's) showed some incredible patience and skill.
Ok, on to Pacquiao and Bradley...
Last week, as I watched the Pacquaio / Bradley match up, but my focus seemed to dissipate due a very busy week. After the 6th round, I was just "hanging in" to watch the rest of the fight. I was out at a local establishment that showed the fight. There were approximately 200 people.
The crowd's reaction to the split decision in favor of Bradley was loud and in disagreement with the outcome. I could only imagine what the crowd sounded like in Vegas. Can you imagine the roar of thousands of fight fans disagreeing and booing in unison as Michael Buffer announced the decision?
When the crowd around me voiced their outrage I wasn't surprised. The HBO commentators did a great job at leading everyone to believe that Pacquiao unanimously won the fight. If you paid attention to Jim Lampley and the commentating crew, June 9, 2012 on HBO Boxing could have easily been titled the Manny Pacquiao show. The commentary was so one-sided for Pacquiao that I started to wonder if the producer was from Manila.
First I have to say that judging the fight live is much more difficult than doing it in retrospect. I pressed play on my DVR and let the fight play without use of the slow motion or rewinding. Here is my score.
| Rd | Winner | Comment |
| 1 | Bradley 10-9 | Close, I don't think Pacquiao did enough with the 3 clean punches at the end to win. He didn't do much earlier in the round. Bradley won the first two minutes of the round. Were the 3 punches at the end of the round enough to win it? Commentators said that Paquiao won with those punches. Someone please explain this to me. I am open to learn why this would be acceptable. Bradley was consistently the aggressor, had good defense and I believe controlled most of the round |
| 2 | Bradley 20-18 | Pattern developing where Pacquiao tries to do more in the last minute of the round. As in round 1, I think Bradley did just enough to win the round. He appeared to have landed more punches earlier in the round. |
| 3 | Pacquiao 28-29 | Pacquiao did enough to win the round, but I am noticing a considerably slower Pacquiao in regards to footwork. He is not bouncing around and shooting quickly from angles as he did in previous fights. Pacquiao took control of the round. Better ring generalship, Defense was about equal and better cleaner blows. |
| 4 | Pacquiao 38-38 | Good round. This is when he turned his ankle. Despite the injury, he was tough. Close round. |
| 5 | Bradley 48-47 | Close |
| 6 | Pacquiao 57-57 | Pacquiao was busier and won the fight in the last minute of the round |
| 7 | Bradley 67-66 | Bradley appears to increase in confidence. Looks composed and controls the round being a busier in the first 2 minutes of the round. |
| 8 | Pacquiao 76-76 | This time, Pacquiao does enough in the last minute of the round, but you have to question whether winning 1 of 3 minutes is enough. Did he win the round. Pac takes the 8th. |
| 9 | Bradley 86-85 | Bradley is busier and around the last minute of the fight, I remember seeing Bradley throw and possibly landing five puches to Pacquiao's one punch |
| 10 | Bradley 96-94 | Pacquiao took the round off. Not completely, but Bradley won the round |
| 11 | Pacquiao 104-105 | Pacquiao was the effective aggressor, defense relatively even. The round wasn't a blowout, but I think Pacquiao did enough to win it. |
| 12 | Bradley 115-113 | Bradley showed great Rhythm, shows confidence and was busier. Ring General ship, defense and affective aggresiveness. |
Decision: Bradley
When I left, I thought Pacquiao may have won the fight. This could have gone either way because many rounds were close. I found the 2nd, 5th and 7th rounds very close and difficult to judge. This fight could have gone to Pacquiao, Bradley or draw. Oddly enough, based on my scoring Pacquiao did not lead at any point in the fight. Yes, I know that will seem odd. That actually surprises me too, but I can't see that until I review my score card. Scoring is done one round at a time.
Overall, I thought Pacquiao had the better, more powerful shots, but I am not sure if he landed enough of them cleanly. Bradley fought 3 minutes each round and seemed to be the most active of the two throughout several rounds. Bradley may have edged out Pacquiao in Ring Generalship and also defense.
Bradley not only blocked punches, but also at times was very elusive with good vertical and horizontal movement. Pacquiao seemed to be slower than usual. His punches had pop, but his legs seemed to be heavy. Based on his physique, gaining almost no weight after weigh-in and his decreased activity, I wonder if he trained hard enough or if he is simply getting older. Either way, I am sure he will rev up for the rematch.
Two of the judges' scorecard disagree with mine in the 1st round, one disagrees in the 2nd, and one disagrees in the 5th. I almost disagreed with all of them in the 7th. I gave the 7th to Bradley, but I think it could have gone either way.
If you believe that the fight was not close. I challenge you to review these six rounds.
Round 1: Did Pacquiao win the round with three punches at the end of the round? I did not think so.
Round 5: Close round, judge 3 minutes of the round, look at defense and punches that actually land
Round 7: Close, all judges gave the round to Bradley
Round 9: Keep an eye on Bradley. He's busier. Check out his defense and Ring Generalship.
Round 10: Pacquiao slowed down this round
Round 12: Bradley edged out this round. He was in rhythm, looked confident and landing better
Some people believe that Bradley did not do enough to beat the champ. To some people Pacquiao clearly won, some agree and some say it could have been a draw. The only one that I do not agree with is that Pacquiao clearly won the fight. The margin was too small. In my assessment, the judges did a fine job.
What do you think? Did Pacquiao clearly win the six rounds that I have listed above? If you believe Pacquiao clearly won, please explain why.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Pacquiao vs Bradley - It was closer than you think
I thought Pacquiao edged out the win in last nights fight against Tim Bradley, but like the judges, I thought it was close. From my observation, Bradley is not getting enough credit for his defense. Pacquiao threw more punches, but Bradley blocked many punches. The outcome of the fight is a good reason to look at the fight again with frequent use of the slow-mo button. Those little, ring giants are fast!
I had the score close through 6 and stopped tracking after that. I will admit that my focus was affected by the late start. However, I did not agree with the ringside commentary. The HBO announcers' comments were off. Jim Lampley was calling clean shots for Pacquiao that were blocked. And much respect for his experience, but Harold Lederman seems to be off consistently. Combined with Lederman' scoring, the commentary on HBO is usually misleading.
Again, i thought Pacquiao won, but as pro judge Tom Schreck says, "It is different when you are there and can see and hear the punches". I am going to give it another look. Regardless of the outcome, you have to consider who stands to benefit from this fight.
Where Pacquiao, Bradley, Bob Arum and HBO including the commentators stand to gain a huge payday for the rematch on November 10th, the judges of this fight do not stand to gain anything at all. Unless you think they enjoy ridicule and being flagged for a controversial decision by networks and promoters. I enjoy listening to Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman, but if you watch enough fights you can feel them going with momentum. Max is probably the least guilty of this.
The fact is that the fight was close and three professional judges were within one round of giving Timothy Bradley a unanimous decision. It is hard to argue with that kind of consistency. I am looking forward to watching this fight again.
Official scorecard for your convenience. What is your take on the decision?
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Mayweather vs Cotto - How can Cotto win?
If you ask Floyd Mayweather, "How can Cotto win?", he may reply saying, "He Can't!” He may even add, "You can even jump in the ring with him and he still won't win!” If you ask Miguel Cotto the same question, he may answer, "I'm going to train hard and believe in myself." Two very different answers that is very much in line with their respective characters.
As Mayweather indicated on the first Mayweather / Cotto 24-7 episode on HBO, "Cotto is a silent killer.", so the assumption can be made that he is not going to take this fight lightly. Mayweather will have to be elusive and avoid Cotto's strong punches.
Another perspective is that Mayweather is also a promoter who will gain a large profit from this event. He does not want to lose and is very smart about selecting his opponents. Therefore, he could just be calling Cotto a "silent killer" to build up the fight. There is a slight chance that he is over confident, but he is a very experienced professional so I would not count that as an advantage for Cotto.
During the promotional period of the second fight against Antonio Margarito, Cotto had a quiet confidence. Many people that I spoke with and on a few blogs questioned if Cotto's heart was in the fight because of remarks he made during an interview on HBO with Boxing Analyst Max Kellerman where he stated that boxing is only his Job. Margarito's position was very different stating that he would die trying to win.
Based on the outcome, Cotto's heart and mind were obviously in the right place. He was focused, powerful and determined. Judging how Cotto will do based on pre-fight interviews just does not work. He is consistently quiet, confident and smart.
When recently encountering Cotto fans, I sensed great hope, concern and doubt; certainly more hope than anything. Although Mayweather is moving up in weight to fight Cotto, physically, Mayweather will match up fine against Cotto and actually has a 5-inch reach advantage.
Mayweather arguably has the advantage in defense, speed and counter-punching. Cotto has 30 knockouts vs. 26 for Mayweather, which is close in comparison. Cotto may be the stronger puncher, but Mayweather throws punches so effectively that he is capable of putting his opponent on the canvas. When analyzing skills and physical attributes, Mayweather has the advantage.
Cotto may have an edge on power, but the primary attribute that can have the greatest impact on the fight, along with the style that Cotto will use, is intelligence. Landing strong punches can change Mayweather's fight plan. However, Mayweather adapts to a fighters better than anyone in the business.
In my opinion, Cotto has to have a game plan that incorporates effective offensive pressure and contingent plans to keep Mayweather guessing. In short, Cotto has to make Mayweather adapt to change, but not make it easy for Mayweather to adapt to change with the addition of his timely, gut-busting left hook to the body.
To connect offensively, Cotto will have to apply pressure, but he cannot be predictable. A basic response for an opponent that is coming forward aggressively is a timely uppercut. I am certain that Mayweather will look for that and is capable of landing it at will.
Cotto has to use faints, unpredictable footwork and possibly take a page out of the playbook of some of the best psychological fighters, like a Bernard Hopkins who is psychologically intimidating, crafty and unpredictable.
Can Miguel Cotto win the fight? Yes, but beating Mayweather will be very difficult. I believe that Mayweather has the advantage in pure boxing skill. However, if Cotto can execute a smart game plan, he can hand Mayweather his first loss. If Mayweather simply relies on his natural boxing ability and being more physically gifted, he can lose the fight. Cotto is a smart fighter, with a very smart trainer, Dr. Pedro Diaz, who has great experience, is methodical and will surely have an effective game plan.
I am very interested in this fight because it will come down to execution and adapting to change in the ring. This can be a great fight that shows the intelligence necessary to fight at the highest levels of professional boxing. Both fighters will be in excellent condition, but the winner will be the fighter that can see through the “fog of war”, execute the smarter game plan and adapt effectively in the ring. We shall see what happens on May 5th, 2012.
Who do you think will win? Can Cotto beat Mayweather? What does Cotto have to do to win?
Note: If you use the translate option, you may experience grammatical errors. This is an automatic Google translation.
As Mayweather indicated on the first Mayweather / Cotto 24-7 episode on HBO, "Cotto is a silent killer.", so the assumption can be made that he is not going to take this fight lightly. Mayweather will have to be elusive and avoid Cotto's strong punches.
Another perspective is that Mayweather is also a promoter who will gain a large profit from this event. He does not want to lose and is very smart about selecting his opponents. Therefore, he could just be calling Cotto a "silent killer" to build up the fight. There is a slight chance that he is over confident, but he is a very experienced professional so I would not count that as an advantage for Cotto.
During the promotional period of the second fight against Antonio Margarito, Cotto had a quiet confidence. Many people that I spoke with and on a few blogs questioned if Cotto's heart was in the fight because of remarks he made during an interview on HBO with Boxing Analyst Max Kellerman where he stated that boxing is only his Job. Margarito's position was very different stating that he would die trying to win.
Based on the outcome, Cotto's heart and mind were obviously in the right place. He was focused, powerful and determined. Judging how Cotto will do based on pre-fight interviews just does not work. He is consistently quiet, confident and smart.
When recently encountering Cotto fans, I sensed great hope, concern and doubt; certainly more hope than anything. Although Mayweather is moving up in weight to fight Cotto, physically, Mayweather will match up fine against Cotto and actually has a 5-inch reach advantage.
Mayweather arguably has the advantage in defense, speed and counter-punching. Cotto has 30 knockouts vs. 26 for Mayweather, which is close in comparison. Cotto may be the stronger puncher, but Mayweather throws punches so effectively that he is capable of putting his opponent on the canvas. When analyzing skills and physical attributes, Mayweather has the advantage.
Cotto may have an edge on power, but the primary attribute that can have the greatest impact on the fight, along with the style that Cotto will use, is intelligence. Landing strong punches can change Mayweather's fight plan. However, Mayweather adapts to a fighters better than anyone in the business.
In my opinion, Cotto has to have a game plan that incorporates effective offensive pressure and contingent plans to keep Mayweather guessing. In short, Cotto has to make Mayweather adapt to change, but not make it easy for Mayweather to adapt to change with the addition of his timely, gut-busting left hook to the body.
To connect offensively, Cotto will have to apply pressure, but he cannot be predictable. A basic response for an opponent that is coming forward aggressively is a timely uppercut. I am certain that Mayweather will look for that and is capable of landing it at will.
Cotto has to use faints, unpredictable footwork and possibly take a page out of the playbook of some of the best psychological fighters, like a Bernard Hopkins who is psychologically intimidating, crafty and unpredictable.
Can Miguel Cotto win the fight? Yes, but beating Mayweather will be very difficult. I believe that Mayweather has the advantage in pure boxing skill. However, if Cotto can execute a smart game plan, he can hand Mayweather his first loss. If Mayweather simply relies on his natural boxing ability and being more physically gifted, he can lose the fight. Cotto is a smart fighter, with a very smart trainer, Dr. Pedro Diaz, who has great experience, is methodical and will surely have an effective game plan.
I am very interested in this fight because it will come down to execution and adapting to change in the ring. This can be a great fight that shows the intelligence necessary to fight at the highest levels of professional boxing. Both fighters will be in excellent condition, but the winner will be the fighter that can see through the “fog of war”, execute the smarter game plan and adapt effectively in the ring. We shall see what happens on May 5th, 2012.
Who do you think will win? Can Cotto beat Mayweather? What does Cotto have to do to win?
Note: If you use the translate option, you may experience grammatical errors. This is an automatic Google translation.
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