JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ WINS AGIN

Juan Manuel Lopez TKO 2 Bernabe Concepcion TIME: 2:37

Lopez earns his 29Th pro victory, and gets his 26Th Knockout in the process. He was facing the Philippine "Real Deal" on Saturday. Though it was brief Concepcion put up a tough fight, flooring the young phenom. It was some what of a fire fight, with both men tasting the canvas. Anytime a young fighter is fighting in front of his hero, while in his backyard can be a distraction. In boxing if your head is not in the game 100% you can get knocked out. As Lopez found out by being knocked down in the first. I'm not taking all of the credit away from the challenger. Concepcion landed a power-shot and almost got lucky. Lopez showed real character as he hurt and finished Concepcion in the second with 2 knock downs. Lopez's next fight is against a real Mexican warrior, and he better be ready. Rafael Marquez will be the second challenger for his WBO featherweight title. Will Lopez be able to beat the older more rugged veteran? Marquez is very durable and has proved many times he is as tough as they come. I think Lopez will win by KO because his speed is too much for the older Marquez. Rafael has been in many wars and that can damage you. Lopez is like a new car with few dings, while Marquez is an older model that has been driven very hard. Either way I can't wait to see this match up on September 18Th.

MIKE JONES: STILL TIPPIN

Mike Jones (21-0, 17 KO's) VS. Irving Garcia (17-4-3, 8 KO's)

Who? Mike Jones! Who? Mike Jones! Mike Jones has the chance to showcase his skills against Irving Garcia this Friday night on SHOBOX. He is an exciting young fighter from Philly, with mad skills. He has speed, power, ability, and he is from Philly so you know he's not afraid of a war. Any fighter who comes up in Philly has a tough time with the legendary gym wars. He is undefeated, young, and most importantly fun to watch. Those are all of the things you need if you hope to be a star down the road. He hasn't fought the best of opposition , but they are bringing him along at an alright speed. He has a unanimous decision win over the tough veteran Henry Bruseles. You might remember him from his 2005 fight with Floyd Mayweather. He should blow through this guy with ease, and hopefully gain some new fans in the process. He is fighting on a bigger stage and hopefully people will know who he is after Friday night. I would like to see him to step up in competition in his next fight. There are plenty of good boxers to fight at welterweight to make a name against. He is no were close to the top of the division, but with a little hard work he can be there soon.

ANDRE WARD BEATS UP ALLEN GREEN

Andre Ward W 12 Allen Green SCORES: 120-108, 120-108, 120-108

It might have been ugly, it might not have been the most exciting fight ever, but it got the job done. Andre Ward smothered, and plain roughed up Allen Green Saturday night. He landed first, and beat Allen Green to the punch all night long. When he got close and it looked like Green was going to open up he just held on. He smothered Green giving him no room to punch, or even mount an offense. Ward looked like the man in there with Allen Green looking like a boy. Allen Green was again full of excuses after the fight. When he lost to Miranda it was because he was sick, and when Saturday night he over trained. The biggest difference in this fight wasn't speed, power, or ring experience. It was simply heart, and desire, Ward had the drive to win, and Green did not. When people make Allen Green fight he folds up. He didn't mount much of an attack when Ward took the fight to him. Andre Ward got to fight in front of his home crowd yet again, and he shined. Is it fair that he gets to fight every fight at home? Of course not, but don't hate the fighter hate the game. Dan Goosen gets it done, and that is a credit to him and his negotiating skills. The scary thing is I don't think it would make much of a difference where he fought. I take that back If he fought in Montreal against Lucian Bute it might have a slight effect. If Ward can keep boxing, he can win this tournament easy. His team puts together a good game plan for each fighter, and he follows it to the "T". I think Andre Dirrell can give him a much better fight then Green did.

ANDRE WARD OR ALLEN GREEN?

Andre Ward (21-0, 13 KO) VS. Allen Green (29-1, 20 KO)

Andre Ward is Ring Magazine's #2 ranked super middleweight, and the man to beat in the Super Six Boxing Classic. He truly has a golden armature pedigree, with a record of 114-5, and a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics. Like many I wanted to see what this golden boy could do as a pro. After his seventh professional fight, I thought I was just watching an over hyped young kid that wouldn't amount to much. I was wrong when reading that knockdown he suffered at the hands of Darnell Boone. It could have been a huge negative, that could have effected him the rest of his career. It was a wake up call to Andre, and he grew after that fight. Until his one sided drubbing of power-puncher Edison Miranda, many thought he was not fighting up to his full potential. That is when I became a believer in his skills as boxer. Right then I knew he would be able to compete with the best, and knew for sure he would get world title one day. It wasn't until he easily beat Mikkel Kessler that the boxing public gave Andre his due props. Right now he is flying high with his recent victory in the tournament. It could all come crashing down with one punch from Allen Green, but it probably wont.

I enjoyed watching Allen Green when he was coming up through the ranks. He had power, boxing ability, and was just plain fun to watch. He was knocking guys out left and right until he ran into Edison Miranda. He thought his power would scare Edison, and he wouldn't have to fight. He was sorely mistaken, because Edison is a tough competitor. He even knocked down Edison in that fight, and I though he had chances to take control of the fight but he did not. When he pushed Edison, he got pushed back, and his heart got tested. He failed to prove he was man enough to beat a fighter who showed real heart. When he tasted Edison's power he quit throwing punches, and ran for the rest of the fight. They both fought Edison, Andre destroyed him, and Allen got beat to him. Just when people were writing off Green he surprises everyone with a hard fought victory over previously unbeaten Tarvis Simms. Since his loss to Miranda he has reeled off 6 straight wins, the last being his best.

POWER: Green
SPEED: Ward
BOXING ABILITY: Ward
AMATEUR BACKGROUND: Ward
HOME TOWN CROWD: Ward
CONFIDENCE: Ward

Allen Green his definitely the one who has something to prove, and that can be dangerous. You don't want to fight a man who has something to prove, because they want to win at all costs. The only way he will be able to land a serious power-punch is if Ward gets complacent, or if he can throw combinations. Ward will be too quick to land power combination punching, and Green will be worn down by the middle rounds. I don't see Allen Green being able to catch up to Ward's footwork. Ward will keep him of balance, with his ability, and out of position all night long. He will have problems with Ward hand-speed, as well. When he tries to reach with punches because he is out of position he will get countered by Ward's crisp, clean shots. This will frustrate Green, and he will get careless trying to land that one big punch. When he does this Ward will capitalize and end this one-sided fight. When Ward gets the late round T.K.O., It will thrill the Oakland crowd. If this doesn't happen Ward will win a landslide unanimous decision.

Andre Ward TKO 10 Allen Green

MARQUEZ OVER VASQUEZ IN THEIR 4TH FIGHT

Rafael Marquez TKO 3 Israel Vasquez TIME: 1:33

When 2 fighters fight each other as hard, and as many times as these 2 warriors they will have a bond that will last for ever. In a case like this one the fighter who has taken less punishment, and is able to box a little better usually wins. That is what happened when Gatti fought Ward, and when these 2 fought each other. This fight was not real competitive as the less damaged fight won in a 3 round blow out. Vasquez got a cut over his eye that went to the bone, and you can't have that if you are fighting Marquez. Yes Israel was passed his prime, and didn't have much of a chance to win. As long as he was able to lace his gloves up he had to fight Marquez. If he didn't people would have always talked about why they didn't fight for a 4Th time. More importantly he would have regretted it. These 2 fighters left it all in the ring in the 4 fights they had together. They have been in fights that have changed them forever, and fans will never forget it.

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND: COBRA GETS STUNG

Mikkel Kessler W 12 Carl Froch SCORES: 115-113, 116-112, 117-111

The home team keeps the advantage, Mikkel Kessler keeps it perfect. Every hometown fighter has won when they have had the opportunity. Dumb Out Fight Sports scored the fight 115-113 for Froch. It was a very close contended match with a ton of action, Kessler being the aggressor. Many people are asking why Froch didn't put an exclamation point on the fight so he couldn't win. I think we have to credit Kessler for that. He worked hard, and when the hometown crowd goes crazy it is in your favor, because it can sway judges. Even though Kessler was more aggressive he was often tagged with counter punches. This was a seesaw battle and it could have gone either way, and Froch should have known that. When you are in the other guy's home town you have to take the fight to him. It you don't pitch a shutout, or score a KO odds are you will probably lose a decision. It happened to Dirrell and know ironically it happened to Froch. I think Froch deserved the decision but I wouldn't call it a robbery. If he gets hit as much as he did against Kessler than he will get knocked out by Abraham. On the other hand if he can make King Arthur miss, and make him pay he can win. We know he has power and can hurt Abraham, or anyone in the tournament for that matter. His best asset in the ring however may be his big heart, and belief in himself. He truly believes he can beat anyone in the world, and that alone can carry him to victory. We have to remember Froch comes on at the end of fights so he will be there untill the final bell.

KESSLER OR FROCH?

This should be an easy pic but Froch always seems to find a way to win. No matter how ugly he looks in the ring flailing away with his wild punches, he still get the job done. There are some questions to ask of both fighters before you pick the winner. Many think that Froch talks too much and has his mind on other things (Calzaghe). He always does this before, during, and after a fight. It is part of who he is, it is how he pumps himself up, or tries to sike the other guy out. I would only be worried and think something was wrong if he wasn't talking trash, or being a loud mouth. He is so wild you would think he would get caught by a technical boxer, but he really hasn't, yet. Mikkel Kessler on the other hand looked slow, and old in his last fight against Andre Ward. In the sport of boxing you can get old in one night. Did Kessler get old in the ring on the night he fought Ward? Or, was Ward just that quick, and overall better than him. I'm not sure which one it was, probably a little bit of both. Froch brings tremendous pressure and every swing he takes is with ill intent. If Kessler can get his jab working early and gain Froch's respect early he can win an easy fight by just out boxing the Brit. If he folds however, it wont be pretty for Kessler. Froch will destroy him with his power if he can break the pressure with his jab. I think if Mikkel can resemble his former self even a little he will win. He fought a good fight against Joe Calzaghe, and Froch is no Calzaghe. I know, I know it was a long time ago, but I think he can do it. He is looking to prove himself in there after his last one-sided loss in the tournament. I think he is good enough to KO Froch but he will probably win a decision. Even though Froch got the win in his first fight in the tournament against Andre Dirrell he looked horrible,and most thought he lost. I think Kessler will get back to his original form and win a split decision against Carl. I think this fight can go to either man and it will go to the man who wants it the most. I am going to say that this will be the most action packed fight in the tournament thus far, Kessler will pick up the points in a close and probably close win.

Mikkel Kessler W 12 Carl Froch SPLIT DECISION

A RESPONSE TO THE HAYE BANDWAGON

I would love to see David Haye unify the titles but he wont, I just don't see that happening. Here are some of the reasons. Once again this is just my opinion so if you don't like it too bad, write a retort. Like I said I might eat my words and when that time comes we will see. Every one is on the Haye bandwagon, it will take me a lot more to crown him the best in the division.

People who say his chin isn't made of glass should look at the facts.
KOed by Carl Thompson
Knocked down by Monte Barrett who can punch
Knocked down by Jean Marc Mormeck


Who called out David Haye? Bernard Hopkins, Tomasz Adamek, James Toney, Vitali Klitschko, Wladimir Klitschko, Audley Harrison, Chris Arreola

Wladimir Klitschko called him out before the Ruiz fight after Haye already backed out of a contract with him.

"I would prefer to fight him in a soccer arena but I would fight him in a car parking lot if necessary."

Tomasz Adamek called him out after Haye won the WBA belt.

“You call yourself the best heavyweight fighter in the world after running scared for the whole fight with Nikolai Valuev? It’s not even funny.”

"Talking is cheap, People don't care how big you are during the press conferences. They want to see a man in the ring. I never say too much before my fights and my opponents are not saying a lot afterwords because they are knocked down. You say you want to be a people's champion. If so fight me . That's what the people want."

James Toney called him out when he said he was going to fight at heavyweight. Not even a response from the fearless Haye, people say never duck anyone.

"David Haye is a comedian. Is he scared of an old, fat, short guy? He has done nothing to even deserve a fight Wladimir Klitschko. He won the cruiserweight title by beating an old guy and a guy who can't fight.
"If he got the balls, let's sign a contract and do this. My record is proven. Come and try to beat me. All golden boy has to do is call Dan."
"As terrible as Klitschko is he will beat Haye. Haye has no chin and no heart. He proved that against Carl Tompson years ago. Things don't change. He is a typical Euro and British fighter. They get fed a bunch of bums and come over here and don't want to fight a good fighter. I will destroy David Haye. He will never fight again. Every fighter I fight I ruin them. They are never the same again."

Going after the Klits? He had 2 chances to fight both of them and he backed out like little child. A made up back injury, and he pulled out of the other fight to fight the slow lumbering giant, great move. People love to talk trash about the Klitschko brother but they have fought everyone in the heavyweight division. They have beaten every challenger that has stepped up as of late.
Who did he get his belt from? How is that cleaning out the division?
Enzo was no good, in the first place. who did Enzo beat?
He got his WBO belt after Johnny Nelson retired.Wow, good call on Enzo he was a paper champ.
Jean Marc Mormeck was good guy but old, and he got knocked down by him in that fight not so much total domination. The title he got from the Russian is also suspect. Valuev won that title on 2 bad decisions from Jon Ruiz. Ruiz was a paper champ because he won that title when it was vacant. Roy Jones gave up that belt so he never really won it. Yea he beat Valuev who beat Ruiz who beat no one.

Haye never fought for the IBF title (Steve Cunningham) won that title in May of 2007, Haye instead of fighting Cunningham a more superior boxer, he fought for the PRESTIGIOUS WBO title against Enzo after he beat Mormeck in 07.
He was in the division for years when he could have fought Adamek, and Cunningham.
He would lose to the top 2 guys in the cruiser weight division right now, Steve Cunningham, who he wouldn't fight , and Krzysztof Wlodarczyk.

ANDRE DIRRELL EXPOSES ARTHUR ABRAHAM

Andre Dirrell W DQ 11 Arthur Abraham TIME: 1:13

Scores at the time of the DQ: 98-91, 97-92, 97-92 ALL IN FAVOR OF A. DIRRELL

Andre Dirrell made Arthur Abraham look one dimensional during his awesome performance last night. He won almost every round by out boxing and counter punching the power punching brute. He showed that he had the skills and mental toughness to compete and win on a high level. He stuck to his game plan and totally dominated Abraham. He won all but maybe one round against the undefeated German. Abraham complained of low blows that were on the belt-line, like he does in every fight. He was getting destroyed by the younger, quicker, more talented boxer, and that is why he resorted to hitting when his man was down. Before this fight I had a lot of respect for Abraham as a man but not now. He couldn't just fight by the rules and take the loss like a man he had to cheat. He quit and in my eyes Dirrell should have got 3 points for the DQ loss. Another thing that makes me sick are these Abraham fans that say he would have Koed Dirrell if it would have went another round, they must be able to tell the future. They should be mad at their fighter for throwing the fight and robbing them of a chance to see him come back. I can under stand if he was in the middle of a combination and in the heat of the moment he accidentally connected. That punch was a power punch and he loaded up after he knew his fighter was on the ground. Even then I could have forgave him if he handled it like a man, but that was not the case. He tried to back peddle when questioned by Jim Gray, and wouldn't admit to anything. He even called Andre Dirrell and actor, and said he wasn't hurt. What punk, he should have just owned up to it like a man not an immature baby. I hope he gets suspended or his action, but he probably wont. He was knocked out cold and his body was twitching, and he didn't even know he won, what an actor. Abraham was exposed and he now will loose to Andre Ward and any other man in the tournament that wants to box him.

WEIGHED IN AND READY TO GO IN DETROIT

Andre Dirrell 167.5 VS. Arthur Abraham 168

Andre Dirrell

BIRTH DATE: O9/07/1983
HEIGHT: 6'2"
REACH: 75"
WEIGHT CLASS: 168 super middleweight
BELTS: NA/
WHERE: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan
PRO RECORD: 18-1, 13 KO
AMATEUR RECORD: 231 wins
TRAINER: Leon Lawson
NICK NAMES: The Matrix
COUNTRY: USA
NATIONALITY: African-American
AGE: 26

BOXING STANCE: southpaw

WINS: 18
KO: 13
LOSSES:1
CURRENT WIN STREAK: 0
NOTABLE WINS: Victor Oganov TKO 6, Derrick Findley TKO 6, Carl Froch W 12
RING MAGAZINE RANKING: NA/
COMMON OPPONENTS: NA/




Arthur Abraham

BIRTH DATE: 02/20/1980
HEIGHT: 5'10"
REACH: 72"
WEIGHT CLASS: 168 super middleweight
BELTS: NA/
WHERE: Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan
PRO RECORD: 31-0, 25 KO
TRAINER: Ulli Wegner
NICK NAMES: KING
COUNTRY: Germany
NATIONALITY: Armenian-German
AGE: 30

BOXING STANCE: orthodox

WINS: 30
KO: 25
LOSSES: 0
CURRENT WIN STREAK: 31
NOTABLE WINS:Jermain Taylor KO 12, Edison Miranda TKO 4, Sebastien Demers KO 3
RING MAGAZINE RANKING: 6
COMMON OPPONENTS: NA/


Prediction: Andre Dirrell W 12 Arthur Abraham

Although Arthur Abraham is the undefeated favorite in this fight I think Dirrell's boxing ability will tell the tale in this one. First off Andre Dirrell should be undefeated and deserved a win against Carl Froch in the first round of this tournament. It doesn't matter if it looked like he ran in that fight, he out boxed Froch all night long. If you don't agree then you have no idea how to score a fight. Arthur has many positives going for him including, power, toughness, durability, a good chin, and a great attitude. How ever his body is open for attack and his defense can be exploited. He is a two way fighter, meaning he is either on offense or defense, and that means he is predicable. He has many flaws as well that I believe Andre can exploit if he is smart and sticks to his game plan. When King Arthur throws his punches he over commits himself and is somewhat wild. If Andre can wait in the pocket he can easily counter Abraham. If he catches him coming in with a counter he can hurt Arthur. What did we learn about Arthur in his last fight? He has power and can change a fight with one punch. The only problem is he did it against a washed up, shot fighter in Jermain Taylor who was way passed his prime, it also took him 12 rounds to do so. Taylor barley even through a right hand or power punch the whole fight. When Taylor jabbed and threw punches Abraham just put on his earmuffs, which left his body wide open. Dirrell on the other hand out boxed a dirty undefeated champion on the biggest stage of his life. He made Froch look like a sloppy amateur and left him off balance all night. He got robbed in that fight, and now has something to prove. He is a way better skilled technician then his opponent. He is also way faster on his feet, and has faster hand speed then Abraham. He is also fighting in his home state of Michigan, witch should be good for him. If he can box for 12 whole rounds he will get a well deserved win and move on in the tournament with gained confidence. If he does not and is not focused even for a second it could be an early night.

FIGHTER PROFILE: VERNON PARIS

BOXER: Vernon Paris
NICK NAME: Ice Man
RECORD: 19-0, 13 KO
HEIGHT: 5'7"
WEIGHT CLASS: Jr. welterweight
NATIONALITY: American
HOMETOWN: Detroit, Michigan
FIGHTING STANCE: Orthodox
LAST WIN: W 6 Corey Alarcon SCORES: 59-54, 59-54, 59-54
NEXT FIGHT: March, 3, 2010, Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI.

Vernon Paris (19-0, 13 KO) vs. Oscar Leon (28-11, 18 KO)

Vernon Paris can be Detroit's next champion if he keeps on his winning track. His next opponent is Oscar Leon on the under card of Arthur Abraham vs. Andre Dirrell match up on the Super 6 Boxing World Classic. If people don't know who he is they will after this next fight in Detroit on a world stage. The man he is facing is tough journeymen and has fought many big names including, Chris John, Humberto Soto, Anthony Peterson, Derrick Gainer, and, Ed Paredes. He needs a guy who wont just lay down, and hopefully this is the guy. Young fighters need to step up their game and fight better opposition. Vernon is talented, fast, and looks to close the show every time he gets into the ring. He would be much further in his career, but every time he gets to that next level something bad happens to him. He was shot and almost killed in Detroit during a murder attempt back in 2006. He was also critically injured when he was stabbed after not long after that. He still lives with bullets in his leg and back, from the shooting he suffered in 2006. Many people have concentrated themselves with the negative things that have happened to him. Lets look at the positives with Vernon, he is rededicated and undefeated. When many people would have given up long ago, he survived and is making the best of his boxing talent. Every fight I have seen Vernon in amazes me because I catch him doing something new each time. He is a serious threat to anyone who he will face at 140, and can be a champion if he wants to. Vernon is not a young fighter who only fights once a year or a couple times a year he has already fought 2 times this year and is slated to fight again in May. Detroit needs something to get behind and Vernon can be it. I can remember how crazy the city got when Tommy Hearns was on top of his game. Don't get me wrong I'm not comparing the to, I'm just saying what if.......

Sarah Kaufman vs. Takayo Hashi For 135lb Title Friday, Do Fans Know?

The Strikeforce Womens 135lb title is on the line this Friday February 26th as the undefeated Sarah Kaufman battles Takayo Hashi. The title fight is oddly enough tucked into a Strikeforce Challengers card which is a different choice for a Championship bout to take place. The fight is not receiving much press or promotional push even though it is being billed as a "historic" moment being the first ever 135lb womens Championship. The fight could have easily held it's own co-main eventing on a normal Showtime card or even added to the CBS line up. Never the less, the ladies headline the card eminating from San Jose CA. in what should be an entertaining battle of to top 135lb female fighters. Kaufman has not yet been defeated in her career and is a fan friendly fighter with heavy hands that have stopped eight of her ten opponents. She has gone to decision in both of her bouts in Strikeforce, against tough fighters Miesha Tate and Shayna Baszler, which were the first two fights of her career to go to the judges. Kaufman comes from a kick-boxing background and has the power to stop Hashi, but Takayo will bring her own set of weapons to the table. Takayo is a tough vet who has submission prowess and a good all-around game as evidenced by her 12-1 record as a pro. Can Takayo deal with the strength and stand up of Kaufman, or will this be another version of a striker with good TD defense beating on a Japanese Grappler for the duration? No disrespect to Takayo, but I tend to believe the latter. As Kaufman has shown us in her two Strikeforce fights she has tremendous takedown defense and a strong base which will make it unlikely Takayo will be able to take it to the floor aside from pulling guard. Takayo has stated that she is willing to fight wherever the fight may take place, be it the mat or on the feet, she still has a better shot at victory if this turns into a grappling match. Be sure to tune in and give these tough ladies some love as Strikeforce Challengers comes from the Civic Auditorium in San Jose, CA this Friday, February 26 and airs on Showtime 11:00PM EST.
Main Card (Televised on Showtime)
Sarah Kaufman (10-0) vs. Takayo Hashi (12-1) Women's Welterweight Championship
Trevor Prangley (22-5) vs. Karl Amoussou (11-2-1)
Luke Rockhold (6-1) vs. Paul Bradley (12-1)
James Terry (7-1) vs. Tarec Saffiedine (7-2)
Raul Castillo (6-0) vs. Yancy Medeiros (4-0)

Undercard (Non-Televised)
Eric Lawson (9-2) vs. Wayne Phillips (3-3)
Chris Stewart (Amateur Debut) vs. Samuel Bracamnonte (Amatuer Debut)
Tristan Arenal (Amateur; 3-1) vs. George Miller (Amateur; 3-1)
Jesse Tobar (Amateur; 2-0) vs. Phil Balducci (Amateur; 1-1)
Renee Robinson (Amateur Debut) vs. Lilia Salas (Amateur Debut)
Steve Dickie (Amateur; 3-0) vs. Alan Lummel (Amateur; 1-0)
Ronald Carillo (Amateur; 1-0) vs. Anthony De Los Santos (Amateur Debut)

EDWIN VALERO STILL HAS 100% KO RATING

Edwin Valero TKO 10 Antonio DeMarco TIME: 0:10

DeMarco didn't come out for the 10Th, retired on stool

Edwin's power was evident from the beginning but it was an accumulation of punches that told the tale. Valero caught a sharp elbow in the 2ND round that opened a huge gash on his forehead. Most fighters would be worried and some would even quit but not Valero. He proved to have the heart of a champion by finishing the fight in the 9Th in dominating fashion. Antonio DeMarco took a ton of power punches from the Venezuelan. Valero couldn't land flush on the chin but he did land many punches to the side of DeMarco's head. At one point it looked like DeMarco was going to pass out in his corner but he took some deep breaths and kept on. Every round had Antonio taking punishment and it got progressively worse as the rounds went on. Edwin Valero is for real and will give any fighter problems with his power and aggression. He seemed to be caught by DeMarco's jab but the punches came few and far between. The power-punching Valero had good reflexes and decent defense. I just hope he can get a big match up and be able to showcase his skills against the world's best. On another note the Corona girls in Mexico are more than happy to show affection to the fighters. The Latina beauties were even kicked out of the ring for being too aggressive in congratulating the fighters. To any single fighters fighting in Mexico cash in on the hot Corona girls.

WEEKEND BOXING RESULTS

Jorge Arce W 7 Angky Angkota SCORES: 60-54, 60-54, 58-56
Technical Decision, Headbutt caused a big gash over Ankota's right eye

Roman Gonzalez TKO 4 Ivan Meneses TIME: 0:10
Ivan Meneses had to call it quits in the fourth round to save himself from any further punishment.
This is called the hurt business and it doesn't matter that they only weigh 105 lbs, these Strawweights can really fight. Roman Gonzalez is the WBA Strawweight Champion and the Ring's number 1 ranked Strawweight in the world. If he can get a fight this year against Thailand's Oleydong Sithsamerchai , the WBC Champion we will be able to see who the best at Strawweight really is.

Peter Manfredo Jr. W 10 Matt Vanda SCORES: 100-89, 100-89, 99-90
Manfredo Jr. is still trying to prove he is still a contender by winning the vacant NABF Middleweight Title by unanimous decision. He won the fight even with out his father in his corner, he was in Jesse Brinkley's corner that night. People still love this kid from the Contender series and he will still draw on the east coast.

Matt Remillard TKO 3 Rafael Lora TIME: 3:00
Remillard also pics up a vacant NABF title but this one is in the featherweight division. Has a long way to go before he will be able to fight guys at the top of that division. The Connecticut native looked good in front of a home town audience.

Vernon Paris W 6 Corey Alarcon SCORES: 59-54, 59-54, 59-54
Paris looked good again even though the bout was foul filled, he still did what he was supposed to do. Vernon Paris improved his record to 20-0 and will be fighting again next month (3,19,10) in Royal Oak. He told me that he will be fighting Emanuel "The Drunkin Master" Augustas soon. This kid is good and he stock continues to rise and it will continue to if he can get bigger names in the ring with him.

Jesse Brinkley W 12 Curtis Stevens SCORES: 117-109, 118-108, 119-107
With this win he is now the IBF number 2 ranked super middleweight, the only problem is he will have to face Lucian Bute. His trainer Peter Manfredo Sr. was kicked out of his corner for a little scuffle where he pushed Stevens to the ropes after the fighters fought after the bell in the 5th.

Sebastian Sylvester TKO 10 Billy Lyell TIME: 0:37
Sylvester wins again and it is his 4th win in a row since losing a onesided 12 round decision to Felix Sturm. All though he has been on a win streak as of late his next opponent will not be a push over. He will be fighting Roman "Made in Hell" Karmazin in Germany around may for his second defense of his IBF title. As the nickname implies Karmazin is tough as hell and will give him the fight of his life.

Karo Murat TKO 2 Sean Corbin TIME: 2:41
This young Iraqi born German is undefeated with a record of 21-0, 13 KOs and is looking to fight the best in the world. He already has a decision win over Gabriel Campillo, who looked so good in his American debut.

Robert Helenius TKO 8 Lamon Brewster TIME: 2:31
In only his 11th fight as a pro this young heavyweight got the biggest win of his career over a proven guy in the division. Helenius was ahead on all of the judges score cards at the time the fight was stopped. It is crazy to think that Lamon Brewster has a TKO win over Wladimir Klitschko. He may have to think about hanging up the gloves sooner then later after his second consecutive loss in a row.

Beibut Shumenov W 12 Gabriel Campillo Scores: WRONG
Campillo was robbed in his American debut and these kind of decsions make me sick.

Chris Avalos KO 4 Jose Nieves TIME: 2:20
The power punching Avalos gets his 12th KO in 15 fights against an undefeated fighter. SHOBOX is starting to really get some young talent.

Archie Ray Marquez W8 Derick Campos SCORES: 79-72, 80-71, 77-74
Marquez is now 10-0 with 7 KOs, as he showed him self well on SHOWBOX. Albuquerque really has something to look forward to in the future with this kid. Seeing this young guy represent made me reminisce of the good fighters that Abuquerque has produced in the recent past like Johnny Tapia, and Danny Romero.

Nick Thomas deathwish72@gmail.com

THE SUPER 6 IS ABOUT TO TURN GREEN

Allen green is now in the Super 6 Boxing Classic and will face Andre Ward on April 17Th in Oakland California. Allan Green was originally slated to fight Sakio Bika for the spot in the tournament but Bika had to pull out. Allan green is more then happy to get a chance at fighting in the tournament for the WBA Super middleweight title. Allan green has plenty of power just ask Jaidon Codrington or the 19 other fighters he has knocked out. He will have a tough night ahead of him if Andre Ward can stay true to form and box. This is a big chance for Allan Green to prove he is a different fight then when he fought Edison Miranda. He could have won that fight but it seemed he was afraid to trow punches even though he knocked Miranda down in that fight. He ran the whole fight after he felt Miranda's power so people questioned his heart. Since then he has collected 6 straight wins in a row and all of them coming by way of knockout except 2. His most impressive performance came in his last fight against Tarvis Simms where he won a unanimous decision. I don't expect Green to win against Andre Ward but I have to give him a punchers chance.


Nick Thomas deathwish72@gmail.com

JERMAIN TAYLOR IS OUT

Jermain did the right thing and got out of the super six classic, super middleweight tournament. He lost 4 of his last 5 fights, 3 by vicious knockout. It would have been a shame if this great tournament had been tainted by people talking about Jermain Taylor. B-Hop was right because even though Jermain got the decisions Hopkins took his heart. he did take Jermain's heart.The guys that are fighting on February 5Th to take Taylor's spot are Allen Green and Sakio Bika. Allen Green is coming off a good performance in October over Tarvis Simms. Sakio has strung together 6 straight wins since his one sided decision loss to the division's best fighter Lucian Bute. There fight should be entertaining and the winner will have to keep their celebration to a minimum because for their effort they will have to take on Andre Ward.

Nick Thomas deathwish72@gmail.com

King Mo Looks to Impress on The Biggest U.S. Stage of His Career

King- noun. a male ruler of a nation or state usually called a kingdom; male sovereign, limited or absolute; the official ruler of a monarch.

"King" Muhammed Lawal burst onto the MMA scene in 2008 with a win over the tough veteran Travis Wiuff, finishing his opponent in just over two minutes. Sengoku was the promotion that gave him his start and they immediately knew they had a star on their hands in Lawal. With a ring entrance fit for a king complete with women and a king's crown, Lawal was a perfect fit for the personality loving Japanese MMA fans. Muhammed didn't just come out of nowhere however, he had been training with one of the best camps in the game in Team Quest. Along with training with some of MMA's elite, Lawal has a wrestling pedigree that is unmatched by many in the fight world today. Lawal is a former three-time U.S. Senior National Wrestling Champion,and former NCAA National collegiate wrestling Champion with Central Oklahoma as well as a Texas State Wrestling Champion. He was also the first and only champion of the now defunct Real Pro Wrestling league. Mo makes his much anticipated Strikeforce debut against the always tough Mike Whitehead at Strikeforce Evolution on Saturday December 19th from San Jose, California live on Showtime. For King Mo, it is his chance to shine on the biggest stage thus far in his U.S. career, and only his second appearance in MMA in the States. In his last fight Muhammed smashed "The Smashing Machine" Mark Kerr via vicious KO in the first round. Look out Heavy and Light Heavyweights King Mo is here to lay claim to his territory.  

M A I N  C A R D
Cung Le vs. Scott Smith
Champ Josh Thomson vs. interim champ Gilbert Melendez (lightweight unification title bout)
Matt Lindland vs. Ronald Souza
Muhammed Lawal vs. Mike Whitehead
PRELIMINARY CARD
Antwain Britt vs. Scott Lighty
Daisuke Nakamura vs. Justin Wilcox
Juan Nunez vs. Luis Mendoza
Bobby Stack vs. Alex Trevino
Alex Crispim vs. A.J. Fonseca

BOXING FOR THE WEEKEND

Friday, December 11, 2009

Jean Pascal (22-1-0, 15 KOs) VS. Adrian Diaconu (26-1-0, 15 KOs)
WEIGHT CLASS: Light heavyweight 175lbs.
BELTS: WBC Light Heavyweight world title
WHERE: Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
WHY: This fight could turn out to be a good fight because they have fought each other before and they have seen each others tricks. The Canadian took the first fight by moving and out boxing Diaconu to get the close but unanimous decision. The scores in the first fight read 116-112, 116-111, 115-112 all in favor for Jean Pascal. The fight is in the same venue as the first time they met. Popular Canadian fighters draw big in attendance and money in Montreal so this is big for Pascal. If he can win impressively he will get some huge attention and will command even more attention.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Timothy Bradley (25-0-0, 12 KOs) VS. Lamont Peterson (27-0-0, 13 KOs)

WEIGHT CLASS: Jr. Welterweight Division 140lbs
BELTS: WBO Jr. Welterweight world title
WHERE: Rancho Mirage, California (SHOWTIME)
WHY: Timothy Bradley is coming of his strange no contest with Nate Campbell and is looking to impress. I would have rather seen him fight Nate Campbell in a rematch but mandatory defenses are an important part of holding a belt. Although Peterson has an impressive record he hasn't been really tested and this is a huge step up in competition. I hope it can be a competitive fight, either way we will learn who he really is.



Vic Darchinyan (32-2-1, 26 KOs) VS. Tomas Rojas (31-11-1, 22 KOs)

WEIGHT CLASS: Jr. Bantamweight 115lbs
BELTS: WBC, WBA Jr. Bantamweight world titles
WHERE: Rancho Mirage, California (SHOWTIME)
WHY: Because Vic Darchinyan is in the fight and that is all you need to know, but I'll expound. Vic is not the best at 115 but he is the most exciting and his powerful flashy style is just good TV. He is coming off of a unanimous decision loss from Joseph Agbeko so he will be looking for an impressive victory. He has said lately that he wants a rematch against Nonito Donaire, and if he wants that to happen he will have to win big. I think if he gets the rematch he will lose again but he will always have a punchers chance.



Victor Ortiz (23-2-2, 18 KOs) VS. Antonio Diaz (46-5-1, 29 KOs)

WEIGHT CLASS: Welterweight 147 lbs
BELTS: NA
WHERE: Chicago, Illinois (BAD), (HBO)
WHY: We will get to see if Ortiz is for real or if he will give up again the next time he faces adversity. It did not look good to see him quit on his stool against the tough Marcos Maidana. He will have to keep wining and show he has heart if he wants to be the next Mexican-American sensation, because giving up or looking weak wont fly. Antonio Diaz is a good opponent to gauge his ability and heart because he wont give up for anyone. He is a grizzled veteran who has more knockouts then Ortiz has fights. So he has the ability to take Ortiz into deep water and test him.



Vitali Klitschko (38-2-0, 37 KOs) VS. Kevin Johnson (21-0-1, 8 KOs)

WEIGHT CLASS: Heavyweight No Limit
BELTS: WBC Heavyweight World Title
WHERE: Post Finance Arena, Berne, Switzerland (HBO)
WHY: The older Klitschko brother Vitali is back in action after his dominant performance against good American Chris Arreola. He has had to retire because of injuries so he is keeping active and busy against Kevin " King Pin" Johnson. He has dominated everyone of his opponents since his return to the ring. This fight should be no different and Vitali should get an easy KO an a few rounds of work. When he wins this fight he will set up a mega match up against the loudmouth David Haye, That's if Haye doesn't back out like a little bitch again. He will destroy Haye when they fight and try to get another mega fight and then probably retire and leave the division for his brother. Vitali is fun to watch because he is so big and has tons of power, plus he can move well, and has awesome ring generalship.



Juan Diaz ( 35-2-0, 17 KOs) VS. Paulie Malignaggi (26-3-0, 5 KOs)

WEIGHT CLASS: Jr. Welterweight 140lbs
BELTS: NA
WHERE: UIC Pavilion, Chicago, Illinois
WHY: This fight should prove what the first fight proved but actually on the scorecards Paulie Malignaggi is a better boxer then Juan Diaz. The first fight was a robbery and Paulie deserved to win that fight by unanimous decision. He out boxed Juan the whole night but because the fight was in Huston the judges gave the decision to their hometown boy. I think this fight should be a good fight and hope Paul can get the win. However you saw the first fight this is the best match up this weekend has to offer.



Nick Thomas deathwish72@gmail.com

BOXING ON TV THIS WEEKEND

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Lucian Bute (23-0-0, 18 KOs) VS. Librado Andrade 28-2-0, 21 KOs)

WEIGHT CLASS: Super Middleweight 168lbs
BELTS: IBF Super Middleweight World Title
WHERE: (HBO) Pepsi Coliseum, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
WHY: This fight should be interesting because the first one ended in wild fashion with a late knockdown of Bute after he was up on the cards. He some how got up to his feet to beat the count, and get the win, many thought he was saved. This will draw a huge crowd in Quebec because they love Lucian Bute up Bute up there. This also has big effect on the Super Middleweight division and if Bute wins he would command the attention of the Super Six winner.



John Molina (18-0-0, 14 KOs) VS. Martin Honorio (25-4-1. 13 KOs)

WEIGHT CLASS: Lightweight 135lbs
BELTS: NA/
WHERE: (SHO) Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula, California
Why: John Molina is an up and coming fighter in the talent rich Lightweight division who is turning heads with his powerfull punching. No relation to John John Molina the Super Featherweight Champion but he still should be looked at so we can see where he goes.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Koki Kameda (24-0-0, 14 KOs) VS. Daisuke Naito (35-2-3, 22 KOs)

WEIGHT CLASS: Flyweight 112lbs
BELTS: WBC Flyweight World Title
WHERE: Super Arena, Saitama, Japan
WHY: Huge Japanese boxing event, with big TV ratings to come, a chance to see the flashy, rising Japanese star step up to fight the champ. This bout has a revenge aspect to it because Daisuke Naito already beat Koki's brother Daiki Kameda, which has caused a rivalry.


Nick Thomas deathwish72@gmail.com

SUPER SIX WORLD BOXING CLASSIC : GROUP STAGE 1

Standings after group stage 1
FIGHTER RECORD POINTS

Arthur Abraham 1-0 3

Carl Froch 1-0 2

Andre Ward 1-0 2

Jermain Taylor 0-1 0

Andre Dirrell 0-1 0

Mikkel Kessler 0-1 0

What did we learn after watching group stage one? Who is the favorite after group stage one? We have learned what we already knew that the tournament is good for boxing and fun to watch. A lot of questions have been answered and some verdicts are still out. It seems that the knock out losses, and tough wars with Bernard Hopkins have finally caught up with Jermain Taylor. I thought he could have been the dark horse in this tournament because he had something to prove after losing to inferior opponent Carl Froch. Jermain looked nothing like his former self in the Arthur Abraham fight. He looked old and as we all know you can get old in one night in this sport. Arthur Abraham can hit hard and he did what he had to do against Taylor in winning and getting the KO but I think he has many flaws. If Taylor would have been younger or even threw some punches he could have won. I see many chinks in King Arthur's armor that will be exploited by the Andre Ward and possibly the young Andre Dirrell when they fight. Like I said Taylor is old and should save himself and us from any further embarrassment and get out of the tournament, but he wont. The world saw what I already knew that Carl Froch is just a big puncher with no real skill. He looked like an amature against Andre Dirrell flailing wild punches like a mma fighter. Andre Dirrell got stuck with a horrible refferee and Carl Froch got away with a home town decision. Andre has a tough draw in the second round but if he can box for twelve rounds he can win. As bad as Kessler looked against Ward I'm still going to pick him to beat the unpolished Froch. Kessler was the biggest disappointment in stage 1, by loosing his title and looking bad doing it. He was beaten easy by an unproven young American gold medalist easy, and not really putting up a fight. Andre Ward could be the next big American boxing sensation if he can win this tournament and then beat the winner of the Bute VS Andrade. There are big names at 168 and 175 if he moves up. He has been improving each time out and I knew he would be a problem after he beat Miranda easy. He will now be the man to beat and if he can keep improving and boxing the way he did against Kessler he can win the tournament easy. Expect the standings to change in the next stage but I guess we will have to wait until January to know for sure. I will talk about group stage 2 and there match ups in the coming weeks so be ready for that.


Nick Thomas deathwish72@gmail.com