TAVORIS CLOUD MAKES IT RAIN ON THE ROAD WARRIOR

Tavoris Cloud W 12 Glen Johnson SCORES: 116-112, 116-112, 116-112

Tavoris Cloud beat Glen Johnson is what was a really good light Heavyweight match up. Tavoris the young, powerful champion successfully defended his IBF crown last Saturday night. Glen Johnson truly lived up to his nick name, the Road Warrior. Glen took many shots proving he is still as tough as he has ever been. The fight was going back and forth with Cloud landing the harder punches. He had Johnson severely hurt in the early rounds, but he could not finish. He threw too many punches, and blew a ton of energy. Cloud would win a round, and then take a round off letting Johnson back in the fight. It looked like they were both out of gas by the later rounds. It was a good fight to watch, and if they had more in the tank late it would have been great. Johnson thought that he won the close fight, and he stated so in the post fight interview with Max Kellerman. I thought that Cloud won but it was a lot closer then the scorecards showed. Tavoris Cloud is a great offensive fighter, but I don't think he would have the same success with either Bute, or Dawson. He called out Chad Dawson (the best fighter at 175), but I think he is barking up the wrong tree. He truly deserves a shot at Dawson, I just don't think he has a chance to beat him. Dawson is in action this weekend against the number 2 rated Light Heavyweight, Jean Pascal. If Dawson can beat him and he can draw either Lucian Bute, Bernard Hopkins, or Joe Calzaghe then he should fight Cloud. Instead of waiting for Dawson Cloud has other intriguing fights he could engage against, while perfecting his powerful, raw style. The other people in the top ten that could be fun to watch would be, Karo Murat, or Borat I mean Beibut Shumenov. He would for sure crush the talentless Shumenov, but Murat might give him a test. If he can't get Dawson or any other of the big fish in the ring maybe he can get a belt chasing 168 pound super middleweight. As far as Johnson is concerned he should try to get a rematch with Cloud. If he can't, and I don't think he will get Cloud again he could try to work his way back. If he can't do that he should seriously ponder the idea of retirement. Fight after fight he is taking beatings, absorbing punishment and getting just getting older. I know he can compete with the young guys, but I don't think he can beat them anymore. In boxing you can get old in one night. I think that is what happened against Chad Dawson. In the first fight he looked like he won, but got dominated in the second. What am I thinking? This is boxing ,and boxer never retire. They continuously chase their former glory, or the almighty dollar. They do this even though they know where it may take them.

COTTO AND EMANUEL STEWARD PROVE TO BE A TOUGH DUO

Miguel Cotto TKO 9 Yuri Foreman TIME: 0:42

Many people thought Yuri's lateral movement, and foot work would be too much for Cotto. They were wrong, Cotto easily caught up with Foreman. Cotto controlled the fight with his jab from the very first round. He dictated the pace with his jab to keep Yuri off balance. That kept Yuri out of rhythm, and out of his comfort zone. When a fighter is coming off such a one sided loss you don't want him in there with a power-puncher. Yuri Foreman had a ton of heart, but that is about it. He couldn't adjust to the Steward-Cotto game plan. You could tell that he has been training with Emanuel Steward. He gets his fighters to uses their strengths. For Cotto it is using his jab and hooks to the body. Look at what he turned Wladimir Klitschko into, an unbeatable monster. He did that by just getting him to learn the basic idea of fighting his size. I'm not saying that Cotto will be unstoppable, but if he stays with Manny and can get his confidence back he will be a problem. It is hard to gauge his performance because Foreman is no Pacquiao. His chin wasn't tested, and he didn't really have to fight in that match. All I know is Cotto got a much needed win, and he now holds a belt at 154. He will get now that he holds a belt again he will get plenty of challenges.

KING KHAN NEW YORK BY STORM

Amir Khan TKO 11 Paulie Malignaggi TIME: 1:25

Amir Khan made easy work of an undersized, over matched Paulie Malignaggi in defense of his WBA Jr. welterweight crown. This was Amir Khan's first fight on American soil, and it was an impressive one. Malignaggi was supposed to be able to make Khan miss and counter him with quick counters, but that was not the case. Kahn had the better timing, and controlled the fight with his jab. Amir was landing clean punches from the opening bell until the referee stopped it. It was a total domination, and the American fans enjoyed it. The fight was so one sided I couldn't even find a round to give Malignaggi, and I'm Italian. All the trash-talk and press-conference scuffles couldn't help Paulie in the ring. I'm sure it was more showmanship then real animosity, because after the fight the fighters and their respective camps made peace. Going with Freddie Roach was a good move for Amir because he gets his fighters ready. Amir was in against a feather fisted boxer, so his chin didn't get tested. The only time Amir looked even a little uncomfortable is when Paulie tried to ruff him up. Amir Khan is good and can hang with the best of the 140 pound division, but I think he will always have problems with punches. Tim Bradley, Devon Alexander, and Marcos Maidana with have their hands full when they fight this young talented Brit.

PAUL WILLIAMS BY FREAK ACCIDENT

Paul Williams W 4 Kermit Cintron SCORES: 36-40, 37-39, 40-36

I knew Paul Williams would get the win over Kermit Cintron but not this way. The fight was turning into a good fight, and would have been if it weren't ended so abruptly. Cintron was coming in with a punchers chance to beat Paul Williams. He was out boxing, and out timing Paul Williams for the beginning. Paul was starting to pick up the pace and that is when the trouble started they got tangled up after an exchange and Kermit's momentum sent him flying through the ropes. We have seen that plenty of times, usually it happens from a punch or a clinch. The problem Sturdy night wast the fact that Cintron hurt his back on a tv monitor on the announcers table. Ring side officials said he could not continue and he was put in a neck stabilizer, and on a stretcher. Because 3 rounds were compleated it went to the score cards and Paul Williams got the win. Cintron gets another disappointing loss on his record, and Paul just another win. Williams of course called out Floyd Mayweather, and Manny Pacquiao. He claims he can still fight at welterweight, and wants to fight the best in the division but they don't want him. He is too big, too tall, and very talented at that. I hope he can get a big fight against someone in the division.

MONEY MAYWEATHER DOMINATES MOSLEY

Floyd Mayweather Jr. W 12 Shane Mosley SCORES: 119-109, 119-109, 118-110

Many people thought this would be a stiff test for Money Mayweather, and yet again it was easy money. Most of the boxing world has called for Floyd to fight bigger opponents, and the best com petition available. If he would have picked an easy opponent he would have been just like another Roy Jones Jr. Not fighting the best, fighters can ruin a legacy, and anger boxing fans. What are they going to say about Floyd now? Not only did he fight the best welterweight that was available, he fought a pound for pound guy. Many people wanted to see how he would face adversity, and he passed with flying colors. He was rocked, and significantly stunned in the second round. He rebounded by winning rounds 3 through 12. I thought that Shane would have given him a tough test, but I was wrong. I wish Shane would have listened to Brother Nazim, and followed a game plan but he did not. He was gracious in defeat and that is the sign of a true champion. No excuses, or ill words for a man who talked much trash about him. I don't see Paquiao, being able to solve the Mayweather riddle. I think he will fight hard but he throws to many punches, and will get countered all night. Either way the fight must be made, and if it isn't then shame on both of them. Manny should either take the tests, to make this fight happen. If Floyd can not get a fight with Manny he should fight Paul Williams. Paul throws a ton of punches and is very tall. The size could give Mayweather some problems, but it probably wont. I think Floyd should, fight Manny, Paul, Andre Berto, maybe the winner of the Devon Alexander vs. Tim Bradley fight, and then retire.

BROTHER NAZIM RICHARDSON: A TRUE MASTERMIND

Most people are saying Shane Mosley's best tools he has to defeat Floyd Mayweather are his size, speed, and power. I'm saying it is a great game plane from the brilliant fight architect Nazim Richardson. We have seen what he has done with Shane for his last fight against Antonio Margarito. Nazim gets results, and his work with Bernard Hopkins speaks for itself. He is truly an old-school boxing guy, who eats, sleeps, and breathes the sweet science. He watches countless hours of tape of his fighters opponents. He finds their weakness and designs a game plan to exploit it. He not only prepares his fighter for fight night by breaking down there opponent. He more importantly refines there game and focuses in on there abilities, and strengths. He tunes up his fighters like a muscle car and makes them run to their full potential. If you would have asked me who would win a match up between Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather Jr. before Shane employed the corner legend, I would have said hands down Floyd. I'm still picking Floyd but now its not as easy to pick a winner, because of the Nazim factor. He wants his guys "to swim without getting wet". Boxing isn't just throwing punches, or knocking guys out, it is hitting with out getting hit. 40 people have tried and failed against Floyd Mayweather Jr., there hasn't been a game plan that has worked thus far. If anyone in the sport of boxing can do it Nazim is surly a man who is capable of it. Think about what this man has done, lets forget about boxing for a minute. He is a man who speak the truth, he not only teaches boxing lessons, also life lessons. He has dedicated himself to Islam when he was a young man, and it has served him well. It has transformed him into a humble teacher, who knows it can all be taken away in a split second. He suffered a major stroke a few years ago that would have ended many peoples life. He fought back, and made a full recovery. The doctors said that he wouldn't be able to talk, walk, and for sure not train again. His submission to God has propelled him to make a total recovery. I have worked in nursing homes for many years and know that it is very hard to recover from such a setback. You can't even tell that he had a stroke, it is completely amazing. His determination, and hard work recovering has transitioned from him to his fighters. When a man believes in himself, and your ability it can have a real effect, just ask Antonio Margarito, and Kelly Pavlik.

ALFREDO ANGULO: STILL A DOG

Alfredo Angulo KO 11 Joel Julio TIME: 1:39

El Pero gets his 3rd straight win after loosing a 1 sided decision to Kermit Cintron. He looked the same as he always does, rough, and raw. His game plan the same, being aggressive, putting on pressure, and throwing power punches. His one dimensional style is not pretty, or effective against good boxers but it is sure fun to watch. He has had good success thus far but unless he changes his style up a bit he will lose when he steps up the ladder. Sergio Martinez will destroy El Pero if they ever fought. I think Spinks would beat him but I would love to see Angulo win. He is an action-packed fighter with a style that people love, and as you know in boxing it can take you far. If you lay it all on the line, and make a fight of it fan will respect you win, lose, or draw.

ADAMEK PROVES HE CAN HANG WITH THE BIG BOYS

Tomasz Adamek W12 Chris Arreola SCORES: 114-114, 117-111, 115-113

Tomasz Adamek now has 3 wins on his heavyweight resume running his record to (41-1, 27 KO). This win over Chris Arreola was important win for the Polish fighter. It was important because it was a legitimate, top 10 heavyweight contender. It was a very ugly fight but still an exciting one. Adamek seemed off balance most of the fight, and this made him look awkward when Chris was attacking. It looked like he couldn't hurt the ironed chinned Arreola with his power shots. He made Arreolas face look like raw hamburger. In Chris's own words "He beat my ass", and I look like fucking Shrek. The stragest thing that happened in the fight was when Adamek's shoe was falling apart. I don't ever remember when a corner-man ever had to tape a sole of a shoe on during a fight. I scored the first 3 rounds to Adamek because he was moving, avoiding shots and landing punches of his own. Then the next 3 round went to Chris because he was imposing his size, and weight on his opponent. Both men expended a ton of energy and looked like they were weary during, and after the fight. I had Tomasz winning rounds 7-12 based on landing the more flush punches. He began to use his legs and it helps him tire out the Mexican-American. Chris looked frustrated and began to show signs of this when he would put down his hands instead of cut the ring off. Chris also hurt his hand some where around the 5Th or 6Th round and was unable to use his right as much as he wanted to. Although Chris Arreola gave it his all, I scored the fight 117-111 for Tomasz Adamek. I'm not sure how far he will go at heavyweight, or even if he has a chance to beat either Klitschko. I know that he is very tough, and determined and that can carry you far in boxing. I think his punches will have a better effect in his next fight, especially if it against David Haye. I would love to see a fight with Adamek and Haye. It would be Haye's speed and power against Adamek's toughness. I'm not sure who he will fight next but I think it will be fun to watch.

TOMASZ ADAMEK: HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDER?

Tomasz "Goral" Adamek

Record: (40-1, 27 KO0)

NEXT FIGHT: Saturday, April, 4TH, 2010 (HBO)

WHERE: Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, California,


OPPONENT:Chris Arreola

WEIGHT CLASS: Heavyweight above 200lbs.

NICK NAME: Goral

AGE: 33

TRAINER: Roger Bloodworth

STANCE: Orthodox

HEIGHT: 6'1" 1/2

REACH: 75"

NATIONALITY: Polish

HOME TOWN: Jersey City, New Jersey

PROMOTER: Main Events

STRENGTHS: Power, Toughness, Durability, Heart, Chin

Tomasz Adamek is one of the toughest boxers on the face of the planet. He has 2 wars with Paul Briggs, and a fight of the year with Steve Cunningham to attest to that. He has won world titles at light heavyweight, Cruiserweight, and is looking to add a heavyweight title to that list. His only came at the hands of Chad Dawson, and he knocked him down in that fight. He gets a ton of credit from me for stepping up against a real heavyweight like Chris Arreola. Many fighters who step up to heavyweight from cruiser try to get to the top the easiest way possible. I admit his first 2 fights at heavyweight against Andrew Golota, and Jason Estrada, were against lesser opposition, but not Arreola. He is a legit heavyweight with a proven track record. He has fought the best in the division and is a very dangerous opponent for a man that is stepping up in competition. Arreola will bring everything he has and will leave it all on the table. He got destroyed by Vitali Klitschko because he couldn't adjust his game plan. This fight could actually be a fight of the year candidate because they are both such tough men. Adamek said that he is dedicating this fight to Poland's president Lech Kaczynski, and the 96 others who died in the tragic plane crash. Anytime you bring emotion into a fight it can get ugly because they are fighting for more then themselves. Arreola wants to become the first Mexican-American heavyweight champion of the world. The fight is taking place in Chris's back yard so it should be exciting. You add that fuel to the fire and you have a very hot fire. Both men are respectful of the other but that wont take away from the fight one bit. There are many Polish-American's that will be rooting for Adamek as well as Mexican-American's for Arreola. You have the Polish eagle going against the Mexican eagle and it should be a real fight. If Adamek can win this fight he will be making a huge statement in the heavyweight division. He has been calling out British fighter , and champion David Haye since he moved to heavyweight. That could be a great fight between 2 former cruiserweight champions that have both moved up to heavyweight. Just because Adamek is not a natural heavyweight doesn't mean he doesn't belong in the heavyweight division. He has the heart of a giant so he can compete against, and beat the big men in the heavyweight division. I am picking him to win a war and if he does as I say he will surly win a
heavyweight crown.

Tomasz Adamek W 12 Chris Arreola

FINALLY SERGIO MARTINEZ GET HIS DUE

Sergio Martinez W 12 Kelly Pavlik SCORES: 115-112, 115-111, 116-111

The fight was fought closely the whole way through with 3 distinct momentum changes. I scored the fight for Sergio Martinez 115-112. Sergio Martinez started the fight on his bike and won the first 4 rounds with fast counter-punches. Sergio cut the champ over the left eye with a sharp punch. Even though Sergio was winning you had a feeling that Kelly's size would cause him problems. You could tell if Kelly didn't change his game plan he was in for a long night. Then in the 5th Kelly stared to close the distance and score with his more effective jab. He adjusted to the speed and tightened up his defense to give the challenger problems. Kelly was making serious head room putting rounds in the bank. The lead right hand that Sergio was landing in the first 4 rounds wasn't finding home. He was landing the harder punches and in the 7TH round he knocked down the slick challenger. Even though Sergio was off balance it was a knockdown and would give Pavlik a 2 point round.After the 7TH round it looked like Pavlik was taking over the fight and would retain his belts. I had him winning rounds 5 through the 8. The big problem with the 8TH round for Pavlik was the fact that he was cut over his right eye now. This cut was more severe then the first, and he was bleeding like a stuck pig. This cut gave Martinez his second wind and motivated him to attack his much bigger opponent. Pavlik's corner could not stop the flow of blood from the right eye and he started the 9TH round already bleeding. His cut-man was working on the less severe cut on his left side instead of his right. The blood effected him, and Martinez targeted the cut to take back control of the fight. Sergio went on the win the final 4 rounds to win the fight on my scorecard. Kelly can't deal with speed and should move up to super middleweight. Sergio should look for the biggest fight and that would probably be a rematch with Paul Williams. This could be for the WBC, WBO, and the Ring middleweight titles he just took off of Pavlik. There is a rematch clause and you can bet Pavlik will try to get the next fight with him. Sergio is now the undisputed middleweight champion, and the best fighter at 154, with the WBC belt. It seemed like even though Pavlik fought well he still could't shake the demons of his past. A young fighter's career can be destroyed by beating like B-Hop gave him. I just hope he can recover enough to get some confidence back, and give us some good fights at super middleweight. Sergio on the other hand has the world in the palm of his hand. He has many options right now that he holds belts in 2 different weight classes. He can either defend his middleweight title against Paul Williams, or anyone who steps up. He can also defend his jr. middleweight title to big name fighter who want to step up from welterweight. Anyway you slice it he will have a big payday ahead of him.

LUCIAN BUTE: le champion superbe imbattable

Lucian Bute TKO 3 Edison Miranda TIME: 1:20

The Bell Centre in Monteral Canada was packed with fight fans cheering for their victorious hero Lucian Bute. The power punching Edison Miranda was supposed to be a tough test but Bute made it look easy. The speed difference was apparent from the opening bell, and that gave Lucian a definite edge. His foot work was superb as well, and it frustrated Miranda. Bute was beating him to the punch in every exchange. He was just too fast, and skilled for the power punching brute from Columbia. This was supossed to be a Transformed Miranda because of his new training from Joe Goosen. Bute never gave him a chance to do anything new because he wasn't there to hit. I knew that Bute would win but I had no idea it would come to quick. In the third round Edison's frustration was apperent when he got hit and was trying to show Bute he was fine. He was not fine and because of a mix of his frustration, and Bute's precision counter-punching the fight was over in an instant. Miranda charged after Bute wildly and Lucian landed a perfect uppercut right on the button. That punch sent quickly sent Miranda to the canvas face first in a heap. Even though Miranda beat the count, referee Ernie Sharif called a halt to the bout. Don't worry it was the right decision, because he was out on his feet, and put no argument forward. The huge Canadian crowd was sent into a frenzy when the fight was deemed over. Bute has an awesome fan base in Canada and they will support him to the end. Max Kellerman said Bute remined him of Tommy Hearns. I thought that was a bit of a stretch but after the fight he said he has been watching a lot of tape of Hearns. Everyone is talking about the Super 6 Classic boxing tournament but Lucian is the real super one. I definitely think Bute is the best 168 pound fighter in the division right now. Who ever wins the tournnament will have to face the great Bute if they want to call them self the best in the super middleweight division.

SERGIO MAERTINEZ W 12 KELLY PAVLIK

I guess he answered the call, because he is fighting the very solid Sergio Martinez. That answers some question about his heart. If he can get passed the slick southpaw people will forget that he ducked out of a huge fight with Paul Williams. Unlike most sports writers I believe in something called accountability, so when I say something negative and I'm proved wrong I admit it. I will be the first to step up to the plate and congratulate Kelly if he wins. I wont crown him the people's champion for beating a Jr. Middleweight. He is a much bigger than Sergio but if he beats him easy I will give him some credit. In order to gety back the people's champion chip belt he will have to keep facing tough opponents. We will see what happens in the ring when he gets behind on points. Will he stand up to the test, or will he get frustrated and give up? I made some serious accusations about the Ghost of Youngstown. I hope he can prove me wrong, and become the champion we all thought he would be.

Reasons why I picked Sergio Martinez over Kelly Pavlik

Hand Speed
Sergio will have serious hand-speed advantage against the naturally bigger Pavlik. I think he can counter Kelly and I he doesn't wait too long I think he will beat him to the punch. Sergio was able to get inside of Williams reach and land clean punches because he had such good hand-speed. If he can do that to Saturday he will be able to pick apart and easily win against Kelly.

RECENT TOP COMPETITION LEVEL
Sergio has faced Paul Williams, who everyone thought was unbeatable and made him look human. He fought Kermit Cintron before that and I thought he won that fight easy. Before that though, he was fighting no big names. Kelly's last 2 fights were against Miguel Espino, and Marco Antonio Rubio. He ran through them easy guys but they are no Paul Williams, or Kermit Cintron.

FOOT WORK
Sergio can give you angles and he has tons of lateral movement. He can hit you and get out of harms way before you know it. He has a problem of getting too relaxed, and borderline board in the ring. If he does that against the power punching Champion from Youngstown he will go to sleep. Kelly on the other hand has not much movement and when he does it is on a straight line. People have given him too much credit for out boxing an old Jermain Taylor. If Sergio make this fight into a race Pavlik will lose.

CONFIDENCE
I still think Kelly has doubts about himself after his one sided loss to Bernard Hopkins. He was on top of the world and then it all came crashing down on him. That can destroy a fighters whole career. It is yet to be seen if this has happened to Kelly, but he is showing some tell tale signs of it. Backing out of fights, weak competition, over exaggerated injuries or illness, and calling out the guy you were already to fight. Sergio has not been fighting on a big stage, or top competition all his life. He has realized in his last 2 fights that not only can he compete with the elite fighters of his time but he can beat them. I think his confidence is soaring right now and, I think he will show this against Kelly. He also has a chip on his shoulder after his 2 questionable losses, that can drive him to success.

CAUTION: MY OPINION CAN HURT
Here are some articles that I have written about Kelly Pavlik that either support my argument or destroy it. You can read them and decide if you think I am right or wrong.

WRITTEN DECEMBER 5TH, 2009
Miguel Espino was no Paul Williams and that was proved last night when the fight was stopped in the 5TH. There was no surprise that Pavlik was going to win by KO in his hometown of Youngstown OH. Probably the biggest surprise was the attendance of 3,409 in the 7,000 capacity arena. Even his hometown wouldn't come out to see Kelly fight, maybe it was the economy or maybe it is the fact he backed out of a big fight. Even in hard times and when Tommy Hearns was way past his prime I can remember seeing Detroiters pack venues. I couldn't imagine people not coming out to see Marvin Hagler or any other Middleweight champ in their home town. Then again Hearns and Hagler never ducked anyone and their fans appreciated that. Whats next for the middleweight champ? Hopefully he steps up to fight better fighters and doesn't pull out of those fights.

WRITTEN DECEMBER 18TH
Kelly Pavlik is not only fighting Miguel Espino on Saturday night he is also fighting his own demons. Since the only loss of his career over more then a year ago to non other than Bernard Hopkins, he has only fought once. Everyone in the fight world was excited to hear that he was stepping up to fight the man that nobody else would fight, Paul Williams. He pulled out of the fight multiple times due to an alleged infection. I think he signed that fight knowing that he would not ever even step into the ring against Paul. After a fighter, especially an undefeated fighter, that thinks he is invincible loses like the way he did against Bernard Hopkins that fighter may never be the same. They start to doubt them selves because they know that they can lose, and that is just what Pavlik is doing. To me the whole sickness seems a little bit fishy and some questions need to be answered. 1. Why would you sign a fight when you know you have such a serious illness? 2. Why would you be calling for a fight with the same guy that you already wont fight after the fight was canceled. 3. And most importantly why would you be fighting only 14 days after the fight date of December 5Th? 1. He only signed to fight a great fighter like Paul Williams because he thought it would make him look good and people wouldn't question your illness. It back fired because everyone knew it smelled of b.s. 2. Kelly is realizing that people are questioning his pulling out of the fight so he thinks he needs to do some pr work to right the ship. If his illness was so severe he wouldn't be fighting only 14 days after the last date he was supposed to fight Paul. Saturday night can either be 1 of 2 things for Kelly Pavlik. It can be his road back to respect and prominence or it can be just another fight. He is fighting lesser competition Saturday maybe to rebuild his confidence in him self or maybe just because he is scared. I hope he can win and then step up against greater competition and return to prominence but I think B-Hop stole his heart.

WRITTEN NOVEMBER 10TH, 2009
Kelly Pavlik had it all, the middleweight championship, big time star potential, a good reputation of facing the best, and now he has squandered it all. It all started when he agreed to fight Bernard Hopkins who I said was a dangerous fight and he would lose. The problem is fighters like Bernard Hopkins don't just beat you physically they break you down and beat you mentally. It is honorable that he took the fight with Hopkins but it is stupid that he didn't ready himself for a loss. He was exposed in this fight and beaten so soundly that he may never recover and be his former self. He then announces he is going to step up and fight the man that no one will fight in 3 weight divisions Paul Williams. Everyone was excited about this possible match up because Williams was fighting a real middleweight that could hit and Kelly was stepping up after his loss. Then came the rumors of an injury or some kind of problem with his hands. After that came the postponement of the super fight that was never to be. You know the fighter doesn't want to fight when it was originally scheduled for October 3rd, then it was pushed back to November 21, December 5, and now canceled. The fight was called off when they tried to push it back further and that was just a way of backing out of the fight the easy way. This raised some red flags, why would you work so hard to line up of fight knowing about an injury that severe. Then this whole buisness of pushing the fight back when you never wanted to fight in the first place. Dan Goosen knew he was lying, and so did Paul who called them on their lies and why they are fighting someone else on December 5Th. If "The Ghost of Youngstown" was so ill then why is he fighting Miguel Angle Espino on December 19Th only 14 days later? This whole Pavlik camp is full of shit because they let their fighter back out and helped him make excuses. The only good thing to come out of this whole mess is Paul Williams is going to fight the other guy that nobody wants to fight Sergio Martinez. Fighters should stop making excuses on why they can't fight and just suck it up and fight. They need to fight more often and worry about there legacy not their records. I pray to God I'm wrong and Pavlik is really as sick as he said he was but I wont hold my breath. Thanks Pavlik for fucking it up for the the fans who actually respect this sport and know the history of it.

THE TALE OF THE TAPE: PAVLIK OR MARTINEZ

KELLY PAVLIK (35-1, 31 KOs) vs. Sergio Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KOs)

Sergio Martinez
WHEN: Saturday, April, 17, 2010

WHERE: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey

WEIGHT CLASS: Middleweight 160lbs

NICK NAME: Maravilla

AGE: 35, 02/21/1975

TRAINER: Juan Leon Diaz

STANCE: Southpaw

HEIGHT: 5'11"

REACH: 76"

NATIONALITY: Argentinian

HOME TOWN: Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain

PROMOTER: DiBella Entertainment

STRENGTHS: Speed, counter-punching ability, Foot-work, Stamina



Kelly Pavlik
WHEN: Saturday, April, 17, 2010

WHERE: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey

WEIGHT CLASS: Middleweight 160lbs

NICK NAME: Ghost

AGE: 28, 04/04/1982

TRAINER: Jack Loew

STANCE: Orthodox

HEIGHT: Top Rank

REACH: 6'2.5"

NATIONALITY: American

HOME TOWN: Youngstown, Ohio

PROMOTER: Top Rank

STRENGTHS: Knockout power in both hands

PICK: Sergio Martinez W 12 Kelly Pavlik
TOMORROW YOU WILL SEE WHY I'M PICKING SERGIO

CELESTINO CABALLERO PITCHES A SHUTOUT IN WIN

Celestino Caballero W 12 Daud Yordan SCORES: 119-108, 119-108, 120-107

Ring magizine's number 10 ranked pound for pound fighter Celestino Caballero was in action last night. Caballero punched his way to and easy one-sided victory against Indonesian fighter Daud Yordan. He was throwing so many punches per round that it prompted HBO's Harold Letterman to proclaim "I have never seen anything like this before." Celestino was landing at will from just about every angle. He knocked down Yordan at the end of the second round when he caught him coming in with a nice counter punch. This was Caballero's first fight at the featherweight limit of 126 lbs, since he moved up from 122lbs. He took the shots well, and his lanky 5'11" frame can easily handle the weight difference. He is freakishly tall for the small weight class giving him a height, and reach advantage against most he will face. He is an awkward fighter to watch because he throws looping wide punches, and doesn't turn them over for power very often. He gets away with this due to the pure volume of punches he throws. He looked good to me but the kid he was facing wasn't even close to his class. With this win he set himself up for a showdown with Yuriorkis Gamboa this summer. Gamboa is a fast rising, exciting, young, prospect who always puts on a show. Caballero has been calling out Juan Manuel Lopez for a long time may be if he can beat Gamboa he can finally get that fight. Caballero is probably the best Panamanian fighter since Roberto Duran, but he identifies more with the flashy style of Ishamael Laguna. If you don't remember Laguna was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2001. This was also Caballero's first fight with Jeff Mayweather in his corner. If Mayweather can tighten up his defense a little, and teach him to throw more technique punches then watch out. He will give anyone in the featherweight division trouble just based on how active he is.

ANDRE BERTO BLASTS QUINTANA: MAKES THE HAITIAN PEOPLE PROUD

Andre Berto TKO 8 Carlos Quintana TIME: 2:16
RETAINS WBC WELTERWEIGHT TITLE

You could tell that Andre Berto had some ring rust after his long layoff. Quintana, a cagey veteran didn't make the fight easy for the young Berto. He was clinching, hitting behind the head, and overall just making the fight rough. He caught Andre coming in with a punch in the first round behind his ear that caused him to hit the canvas. It was ruled a slip, and even though the punch was borderline illegal it should have been scored a knockdown. Carlos was even deducted a point in the 3RD round for hitting Berto behind the head on the break. Either way it didn't matter because Berto was too fast, too young, too strong, and too explosive for Quintana. It seemed like Berto was too close to Quintana and was smothering his own punches, and allowing Quintana to clinch. By the 5Th round he was able to give himself a little more room. Then he started to land the explosive power shots we have grown accustom to expect from him. Another reason that he seemed off last night was due to a left bicept injury he got in the 2ND or 3RD round. He finished the show in the 8Th round as he was able to land his explosive combination punching on the slower, older veteran. Referee Tommy Kimmons had to step in as Quintana was being battered all around the ring. The final straw came when Berto landed a thunderous right hand while Quintana was against the ropes. This was a tough test for the young Berto who wants to fight the elite of the welterweight division. He was originally scheduled to fight Shane Mosley but had to pull out due to the disaster in Haiti. He lost 8 family members in the horrible earthquake. His parents were born in Haiti and since the disaster he has even grown closer to his heritage. He and his brother went to Haiti to help with Triage, and were knee deep in the disaster. This young fighter has great character, and that will severe him well if he plans on rising to the top. His father was in martial arts, who fought back from a near death experience when he was struck by a car. His brother fights in mma, so the Berto family is born to fight. I don't quite think he is ready for the best boxers at 147 lbs, but he is very close. I think he will loose to and of the top three right now but if he continues to grow he will surly be a problem for anyone in the welterweight division.

Jim Lampley: BANG BANG BANG!

If there is one thing you cannot say about Jim Lampley its that he doesn't have passion for his job.  He is consistently providing some entertainment in the form of commentary. From bursting into tears after a fight, to totally disrespecting mixed martial arts, to his latest outburst of sound effects on Saturday. Lampley provided "Bang" sound effects to Manny Pacquiao punches during his fight with Joshua Clottey. Since the original video has been deleted from youtube by HBO, here is a little remix Lampley did with Ricky Martin to illustrate the hilarity.

TALE OF THE TAPE: KLITSCHKO VS. CHAMBERS

Wladimir Klitschko VS. Eddie Chambers

Wladimir Klitschko

BIRTH DATE: 03/25/1976
HEIGHT: 6'6.5" / 199 CM
REACH: 81" / 206 CM
WEIGHT CLASS: Heavyweight above 200lbs
BELTS: RING, WBO, IBF, IBO
WHERE: Esprit Arena, Dusseldorf, Germany
PRO RECORD: (53-3, 47 KO)
AMATEUR RECORD: 134-6
TRAINER: Emanuel Steward
NICK NAMES: Dr. Steelhammer
COUNTRY: Kiev, Ukraine
NATIONALITY: Ukraine
AGE: Wladimir, 33
BOXING STANCE:Orthodox
WINS: 53
KO: 47
LOSSES: 3
CURRENT WIN STREAK: 11
NOTABLE WINS: Sam Peter, Chris Byrd, Lamon Brewster, Ruslan Chagaev
RING MAGAZINE RANKING: CHAMPION
COMMON OPPONENTS: Sam Peter( W 12), Calvin Brock( TKO 7), Ross Puritty (TKOBY 11)

Eddie Chambers

BIRTH DATE: 03/29/1982
HEIGHT: 6'1" / 185 cm
REACH: 75" / 191cm
WEIGHT CLASS: Heavyweight above 200lbs
BELTS: USBA
WHERE: Esprit Arena, Dusseldorf, Germany
PRO RECORD: (35-1, 18 KO)
TRAINER: Rob Murray Sr.
NICK NAMES: Fast
COUNTRY: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
NATIONALITY: USA
AGE: 27
BOXING STANCE:Orthodox
WINS: 35
LOSSES: 1
KO: 18
CURRENT WIN STREAK: 5
NOTABLE WINS: Alexander Dimitrenko, Sam Peter, Calvin Brock
RING MAGAZINE RANKING: 3
COMMON OPPONENTS: Sam Peter (W 10), Calvin Brock (W12), Ross Puritty (W 10)

PICK: Wladimir Klitschko TKO 10 Eddie Chambers

JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ HITS HEAVY AT FEATHERWEIGHT

Juan Manuel Lopez TKO 7 Steven Luevano TIME: :44




Juan Manuel Lopez took the WBO strap away from Steve Luevano and it only took him 6 rounds to do it. Juan was the crisper puncher landing the harder more effective blows in between Luevano's punches. Luevano threw his jab but he was hesitant to throw his power punches and didn't do the job. Luevano looked like he was trying to set up a trap, or just catch Lopez with one punch, and that idea wasn't that effective at all. Lopez was doing what he had to do to win the belt, he took the fight to Luevano. He only had one knock down in the fight and it was a hard one in the 7Th he didn't recover from. The knockdown was set up by an upper cut that staggered Luevano to the ropes where Lopez finished him with a flurry. The referee would not let Luevano continue because of the violent nature of the knock down. He fell in the corner of the ring and his head was propped up by the ring post. The referee finally called a halt to the fight at :44 seconds of the sixth round. He will be a tough opponent for Gamboa and it will be a boxing fans dream to watch.

Nick Thomas deathwish72@gmail.com

GAMBOA CONSTRICTOR

Yuriorkus Gamboa KO 2 Rogers Mtagwa TIME: 2:35

Yuriorkus Gamboa looked spectacular Knocking out tough Rogers Mtagwa at MSG tonight. It was clear from round one who was quicker and hit harder and it was Gamboa. His left hook kept finding its mark on Mtagwa's face. It was like Mtagwa had a magnet in his jaw and Gamboa had a piece of metal in his glove. Gamboa had controlled aggression and picked his punches and delivered them with speed and power. Tonight's win sets up dream match between the other young sensation Juan Manuel Lopez who also won tonight. If you asked me a few months ago who would win this mega match up between the two young Phenoms I would have said Lopez, but now It is a toss up. I would usually go with the more fundamentally sound boxer but speed and power are hard to ignore. I'm not sure who I'm gonna pick for their fight but I'm sure am going to be watching.

Nick Thomas deathwish72@gmail.com

WEEKEND BOXING PREVIEW

Friday, 22, January 2110
CANCELED
Oliver McCall (54-9, 37 KOs) VS Victor Bisbal (15-1, 11 KOs)
WEIGHT CLASS: Heavyweight above 200 lbs
BELTS: NA
WHERE: Electricians Hall, Miami, Florida
WHY: Because I still feel bad about the nervous breakdown he had in the ring when he fought Lennox Lewis rematch. Since the Lewis fiasco he has won 26 bouts and only lost 2 times, not bad Atomic Bull. He has beat some names in the process, Lance Whitaker, Sinan Samil Sam, Yanqui Diaz, and Henry Akinwande. If he wins he can be in line to fight the winner of the EvanderHolyfield and Francois Botha.

Saturday, 23, January 23
CANCELED
Khoren Gevor (31-4, 16 KOs) VS Jurijs Boreiko (15-20-1, 11 KOs)
WEIGHT CLASS: Middleweight 160 lbs
BELTS: NA
WHERE: Kugelbake halle, Cuxhaven, Niedersachen, Germany
WHY: Khoren Gevor just lost a unanimous but relatively close decision to champion Felix Sturm. He is super active in fact his last fight was only 14 days ago and that fight went 10 rounds. Plus Khoren is the 4Th ranked Middleweight according to Ring Magizine.

Brian Viloria (26-2, 15 KOs) VS Carlos Tamara (20-4, 14 KOs)
WEIGHT CLASS: Jr Flyweight 108 lbs
BELTS: IBF Jr Flyweight Title
WHERE: Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines
WHY: This fight could get Brian Viloria a shot at Ivan Calderon's WBO Title for a unification bout.

Donnie Nietes (25-1-3 14 KOs) VS Jesus Silvestre (15-1, 12 KOs)
WEIGHT CLASS: Strawweight 105 lbs
BELTS: WBO Strawweight Title
WHERE: Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines
WHY: WBO Strawweight Title these guys are small they only weigh 105 lbs and a ton of fun to watch.

Yuriorkus Gamboa (16-0, 14 KOs) VS Rogers Mtagwa (26-13-2, 18 KOs)
WEIGHT CLASS: Featherweight 126
BELTS: WBA World Featherweight Title
WHERE: Madison Square Garden, "The Mecca of Boxing", New York, New York
WHY: Yuriorkus is the Ring's 10Th ranked Featherweight and is fast, powerful, and explosive he is a rising phenom. Rogers Mtagwa is know for his legendary Philly gym wars and he gave Juan Manuel Lopez all he could handle. If Gamboa wins he will no doubt fight Juan Manuel Lopez.

Juan Manuel Lopez (27-0, 24 Kos) VS Steven Luevano (37-1-1, 15 KOs)
WEIGHT CLASS:Featherweight 126
BELTS: WBO Featherweight Title
WHERE: Madison Square Garden, "The Mecca of Boxing", New York, New York
WHY: If Juan Manuel Lopez can win then he is only headed for bigger and bigger fights. He looked poorly in his last fight against Rogers Mtagwa but that wasn't his fault it was Rogers who fought great. You Know that Gamboa and Lopez are headed for a head on collision but I wonder what Celestino Caballero has to say about that. He has been calling out Lopez for a long time now and I'm sure he will speak up after this fight. Chris John is at that weight class and could give him a tough test on a huge stage.


Nick Thomas deathwish72@gmail.com