Controversial Fight Series: Cotto-Clottey

by Dafs117, Siren1927 and Mentaldynamo

As part of The Boxing Tribune’s preview of Yuri Foreman’s maiden defence of his WBA junior middleweight title against Miguel Cotto, we revisit Miguel Cotto vs. Joshua Clottey in the Puerto Rican’s closest fight of his career.

At The Garden – WBO Welterweight Title
MIGUEL COTTO (33-1, 27 KO, WBO Titleholder)
vs.
JOSHUA CLOTTEY (36-3, 29 KO)
June 13, 2009 | Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

June 13th, 2009

This was Miguel Cotto’s first real comeback test since his devastating first career defeat to the hands of Antonio Margarito. Suspicions were raised when Shane Mosley’s camp found an illegal substance in Margaito’s handwraps, which led many to believe that his win against Cotto was not legit. The victory still stands, and Cotto had begun his comeback trek with a one-sided beatdown of Michael Jennings, stopping him in the fifth round.

Joshua Clottey was no Michael Jennings. Viewed to many as an underrated top-end welterweight, Clottey was going to be a much tougher opponent for Cotto to break down. In 2006, Clottey had gone the distance with Margarito, starting brightly before a hand injury forced him into retreat. The Ghanaian was coming off the most impressive victory of his career, a technical decision over Zab Judah to capture the vacant IBF welterweight title.

Clottey didn’t defend his IBF title and blamed Cotto for failing to file paperwork on time to make the contest a unification fight. This had no effect on the purse however, as the marketing was successful and the gate was huge, partly because it was held on the eve of the Puerto Rican Parade.

This was Miguel Cotto’s first fight without long-time trainer and uncle Evangelista Cotto, who were involved in several arguments in their fiery relationship. In front of a pro-Cotto crowd, Clottey’s defence frustrated Cotto early on, and it proved in the middle rounds as Cotto resulted into wild shots. Cotto was also cut in round three, the worst cut of the year. Was Cotto’s late surge enough for victory? Or did Clottey’s middle-round cleanout ensure an upset?

The Boxing Tribune have replaced the judges with our own set of scorers. The three judges will be Dafs117, Siren1927 and mentaldynamo. They will give their round-by-round opinion, with a quest to find if Cotto was on the right-end of a split decision at the Garden.

Round 1

Dafs117 – “Both fighters start well, not landing much but getting their punches off in bunches. Cotto begins to land a couple of body shots as he begins to stretch out a lead in the round, and very late on, he lands a left hook which catches an off-balance Clottey who touches down.” 10-9 Cotto [-1 knockdown for Clottey]

Siren1927 – “Great start to the fight, with both fighters jabbing well and both looking to attack the body early. Cotto is finding a home for his straight right already, and it’s a pretty even first round until Cotto drops Clottey, who to be fair looked off balanced.” 10-9 Cotto [-1 knockdown for Clottey]

Mentaldynamo – “High tempo start from both fighters, knockdown clinches it for Cotto.” 10-9 Cotto [-1 knockdown for Clottey]

Round 2

Dafs117 – “Clottey begins to land a couple more scoring shots this round, sweet uppercut and a nice right hand at the end of the round to win the round. The more accurate punches came from Clottey and probably the best defence.” 10-9 Clottey

Siren1927 – “Cotto is firing away nicely but he cannot break through the guard of Clottey. Clottey keeps on firing uppercuts which are mostly blocked too. Cotto is throwing a lot, but not landing. Clottey landed the most telling blows in this round for me.” 10-9 Clottey

Mentaldynamo – “Although Cotto looked more active, Clottey landed the cleaner, sharper blows.” 10-9 Clottey

Round 3

Dafs117 – “Clottey’s left hand can’t miss in the opening minute as he fires a hook followed by a handful of jabs onto Cotto’s chin. Cotto’s peek-a-boo style is ineffective, as Clottey finds his range to land left uppercuts. Cotto throws more punches, but they simply don’t find their target, and a nasty clash of heads causes blood to trickle above the Puerto Rican’s left eye. This round should separate the judges, Lederman gives it to Cotto for out-jabbing, but for me, he doesn’t land anything to compare to Clottey.” 10-9 Clottey

Siren1927 – “For the first minute, we have Cotto teeing off and landing one punch. Clottey is again landing clean, he’s found a home for that left to the body. Cotto uses the jab he forgot in the last round to actually catch Clottey twice, then he forgets it again. However he is starting to catch Clottey now and he takes the round on activity for me.” 10-9 Cotto

Mentaldynamo – “Clottey controlled the round with his jab, backing Cotto up and using it to land his right.” 10-9 Clottey

Round 4

Dafs117 – “Clottey again starts strongly, and his defence is just excellent. They trade heavy leather with Cotto going to the body and Clottey firing back. The cut is really bothering Cotto as he wipes the blood away. Kellerman suggests that Cotto can’t see the right hand coming, and he’s right. Cotto with a late flurry and Clottey tries to answer back. Brilliant round!” 10-9 Cotto

Siren1927 – “Both start the round on fire, throwing and connecting, though if I’m honest Cotto's head movement wins the early exchanges. Clottey then comes right back and Cotto, looks as though he is going to steal the round then acts like a clown and Cotto steals it right back.” 10-9 Cotto

Mentaldynamo – “Controlled the round with the jab, and again backed Cotto up with right hands. Clottey also blocked most of Cotto’s punches.” 10-9 Clottey

After 4 Rounds: Dafs117 – 38-37 Cotto; Siren1927 – 39-36 Cotto; 38-37 Clottey;

Round 5

Dafs117 – “Clottey blocks Cotto’s shots before landing a huge right hand. Another right hand lands from the Ghanaian, and another. Cotto keeps pawing at that cut and it’s really hurting him. Clottey comes in with another right and Cotto basically just slams him to the canvas. Clottey complains, and rightly so in my view, that was a cheap shot from Cotto. Poor officiating from Arthur Mercante Jr., who tells him to walk it off, and on the replay, Clottey slips more than I originally thought. This is getting feisty and Clottey complains about his knee.” 10-9 Clottey

Siren1927 – “Clottey starts this round really well and around the two minute mark lands a lovely double jab right hand combo. Cotto slams Clottey to the ground and special mention must go to the ref who simply tells Clottey be a man, be a champ and walk it off. Clottey wins the round but by God I wish I could take a point off for being a wimp.” 10-9 Clottey

Mentaldynamo – “Clottey blocks Cotto’s shots before landing his own right hands. Clottey wins because he lands the cleaner, more precise shots.” 10-9 Clottey

Round 6

Dafs117 – “Cotto presses and Clottey stands still and gets hit. Cotto traps him in the corner, digging at him punch by punch. Clottey counters with a straight left and they trade, before Clottey goes back into defence mode. Cotto keeps him in the corner landing heavy shots, but Clottey keeps on firing back. Clottey’s mobility is non-existent this round, maybe his knee is a problem. Big round for Cotto, but also a tough round for the Puerto Rican.” 10-9 Cotto

Siren1927 – “Cotto is on fire at the start of the round, throwing and landing multiple shots. Clottey’s mobility is clearly an issue here. Cotto traps him in the corner, but Clottey fires back and catches Cotto, but he’s still trapped in there. They trade leather at the end but Cotto kept him in that corner all round.” 10-9 Cotto

Mentaldynamo – “It looks like Clottey took a round off, getting his breath back after a high tempo start. Cotto dominates and wins the round easily on my card.” 10-9 Cotto

Round 7

Dafs117 – “Cotto really taking control of the fight right now, and I don’t know how much Clottey hurting from that slip/throw has to do with it. Cotto with four unanswered punches, two land. Clottey’s movement is better this round for sure, but getting outpunched. Clottey gets away a combo that ended with a nice right hand. Clottey hurting Miguel, but Cotto gets out of danger. Clottey is the one cranking up the pressure. Another big right, and he takes this round fairly handily. Cotto fires hard near the bell.” 10-9 Clottey

Siren1927 – “How else can you explain this round other than say Clottey just simply beats Cotto up. Cotto fires enough back to at least be competitive but Cotto has a massive target on that cut eye and Clottey’s right hand can’t miss.” 10-9 Clottey

Mentaldynamo – “Again, Clottey landed the cleaner shots and backed up Cotto with that lead left jab.” 10-9 Clottey

Round 8

Dafs117 – “Cotto goes back to pressure Clottey on the ropes again, but Clottey is still able to get his punches away. Cotto then backs himself onto the ropes, de ja vu to the Margarito fight. Clottey lambasts Cotto with rights, that uppercut is hurting Cotto as he grabs both eyes. Cotto now unloads in the corner. Clottey shakes his head like a badass. Clottey takes the round for me, but very close.” 10-9 Clottey

Siren1927 – “Before we even start the round, I’m wondering why the fight hasn’t been stopped, that eye is terrible and I’ve seen far less serious cuts stop fights. The actual round starts with Clottey still in his groove; he gets inside and lands some decent shots. Cotto backs him to the ropes before Clottey flurries out of it. Cotto is continually dabbing at his eye and Clottey is punishing him for it. The amount of right hands Clottey is landing is unreal. Cotto backs him back into the corner in an attempt to steal the round however, Clottey shakes his head and I shake mine.” 10-9 Clottey

Mentaldynamo – “Cotto’s exciting burst at the end of the round not enough to win it. His flurry of punches is not as good as the cleaner 1-2’s from Clottey.” 10-9 Clottey

After 8 Rounds: Dafs117 – 76-75 Clottey; Siren1927 – 76-75 Cotto; 77-74 Clottey;

Round 9

Dafs117 – “It’s Clottey’s turn to stalk early in the round as Cotto moves backwards, not doing much. Another Clottey right lands again. Cotto coming forward with 40 seconds left, but not finding much. Now he’s punching! Clottey resets at mid-ring and jabs Cotto. Cotto’s just not breaking the defence enough to win these rounds, in my humble opinion. Clottey landed the better shots this round.” 10-9 Clottey

Siren1927 – “Nothing of note in the first minute, seconds later Clottey lands a nice straight right then flurries almost straight afterwards. Both fighters are feeling the pace and are not doing much. Both fighters come to life in the last 30 seconds both landing roughly equal. It’s a tough round to score, but I’ve given it to Clottey based on accurate punching.” 10-9 Clottey

Mentaldynamo – “More effective punches came from Clottey in that round, and Cotto doesn’t seem to have anything left as his cut gets worse.” 10-9 Clottey

Round 10

Dafs117 – “Clottey chasing Miguel around again for the first half of the round and Cotto is just not in this fight right now. Lampley thinks Clottey is slowing, I agree, but Cotto is just staying away more than before. Cotto, like in the Margarito fight, has just stopped his work to the body and is head hunting albeit unsuccessfully. Round is winnable for either with 40 seconds to go. They trade leather, most punches miss. Another card-splitting round. I’m going with Cotto.” 10-9 Cotto

Siren1927 – “The first minute of the round is beautiful for Cotto, he doesn’t land much but his footwork and ring generalship are on display for everyone here. Cotto has found something here; he is bobbing and weaving, throwing a few and then moving out of range. It almost wins him the round, but Clottey lands around 12 punches in the last 40 seconds to steal it.” 10-9 Clottey

Mentaldynamo – “Not much action in round ten, but Clottey kept coming forward so I award the round to the Ghanaian on effective aggression.” 10-9 Clottey

Round 11

Dafs117 – “Everyone from HBO is excited. Cotto outworks Clottey, who has really slowed down now. The pace is getting to him, and Cotto picks and pecks. Good idea, he needs the rounds. Clottey lands a meaningful right, but it’s Cotto’s round.” 10-9 Cotto

Siren1927 – “Another close round, it’s now Cotto’s turn to throw the most of the punches and starts to fire back at Clottey. Both fighters have their moments and it’s another tough round to score. You have the sense that if Clottey had thrown a few more he would’ve taken the round hands down. He just about took it, but only just.” 10-9 Clottey

Mentaldynamo – “Much of the same as Clottey keeps coming forward and dictating the pace of the fight.” 10-9 Clottey

Round 12

Dafs117 – “Both come out to win the round and Cotto moves around the ring as Clottey pressures. Cotto lets his hands go, Clottey follows suit, nothing lands though. Cotto turns to southpaw and smacks Clottey in the back of the head. Good call from Mercante Jr., it looked an accident. Clottey tries to find time as he complains for a low blow, nothing given. Cotto with five punches, nothing coming back from Clottey. Left hand from Cotto, and a right from Clottey. Brilliant fight, a rough tussle.” 10-9 Cotto

Siren1927 – “Another tough round to score and unfortunately, more Joshua Clottey bad acting classes. Cotto is just much more active and his defence is actually better in this round. Cotto stole it for me. He didn’t so much as win the round; it was Clottey that lost it.” 10-9 Cotto

Mentaldynamo – “It was a close round, but Cotto just did enough to win it. Cotto had his moments, but that was it, just moments.” 10-9 Cotto

Official Scores: Don Trella – 116-111 Cotto; John McKaie – 115-112 Cotto; Tom Miller – 114-113 Clottey;

Miguel Cotto successfully defends his belt by split decision

BTBC Scorecards: Dafs117 – 114-113 Cotto; Siren1927 – 114-113 Clottey; Mentaldynamo – 116-111 Clottey;

Joshua Clottey wins via split decision

BTBC Combined Scorecard

Round 1 – 10-9 Cotto (3-0); [-1 knockdown for Clottey]
Round 2 – 10-9 Clottey (0-3);
Round 3 – 10-9 Clottey (1-2);
Round 4 – 10-9 Cotto (2-1);
Round 5 – 10-9 Clottey (0-3);
Round 6 – 10-9 Cotto (3-0);
Round 7 – 10-9 Clottey (0-3);
Round 8 – 10-9 Clottey (0-3);
Round 9 – 10-9 Clottey (0-3);
Round 10 – 10-9 Clottey (1-2);
Round 11 – 10-9 Clottey (1-2);
Round 12 – 10-9 Cotto (3-0);

Total – 115-112 Clottey;

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Margarito's Sudden Acceptance an Illustration of the Double Standards in Boxing

by Dafs

Antonio Margarito’s ring return was greeted by many with a ‘forgive and forget’ attitude, with the hand-wrapping controversy a distant memory for fans and media alike; a stark contrast to the outrage and resentment in the public a year ago.

I wasn’t offering a welcome back hug to the fighter who claims he was deceived by his immoral trainer. Margarito still disputes today that he knew nothing about the two rock hard pads implanted in his hand wraps by Javier Capetillo, who sacrificed himself for Margarito’s career.

Despite some early negative press, Margarito outrageously finds himself in a better position sixteen months on. Bob Arum has pledged that he will face Manny Pacquiao in the Fall, guaranteeing that Margarito will be joining the exclusive eight-figure salary club with the leading figures of the sport.

So far, the commissioners have stood firm, refusing to restore his license. In their opinion, he has not done his time. The case was revisited after the indefinite year suspension, but he was refused by the usually lenient state of Texas. Arum blamed California’s influence, who have been stubborn in their case against Margarito.

The lack of remorse shown by Margartio and the constant digs towards the commissioners didn’t help his cause. He disobeyed his rejection by reminding everyone he could fight in his native country Mexico, through taking countless interviews outlining his arrogant return plan back to the top, while crying innocent.

The more and more media coverage Margarito received, the more the fans began to believe his story. But when asked about Capetillo’s return, the fans that completely neglected the elephant in Margarito’s room will be the first to let rip at Capetillo’s incompetence.

At least Capetillo was man enough to own up, and for me, that deserves a chance at redemption, just as any guilty man should if that second chance comes from a place of empathy. I don’t approve of Capetillo’s actions on that January 24 night, not at all, but at least he had the fortitude to admit that he was in the wrong.

I don’t know if Margarito had cheated before, frankly I don’t have the knowledge, but I find it improbable that he would have loaded in a fight where he was a 3-to-1 favourite, but not in a fight where he was a 3-to-1 underdog.

‘Plaster-gate’ has drawn the obvious comparison with the Resto-Collins fight back in 1983. To this day, Resto and his trainer Panama Lewis are banned from boxing, partly because they didn’t take responsibility over their actions until they were broke and needed the money.

The name Panama Lewis is enough to send shivers down any long time follower of the sport’s spine. But why has Margarito been allowed to wriggle out of the same punishment implemented on Lewis and Resto twenty-six years ago?

The fighter is the head of any team, and if he doesn’t like what his trainer is plotting, he can easily tell him to sling his hook. Margarito knew exactly what the situation was in that dressing room, and was caught red-handed with the illegal hand wraps. Margarito should not be treated differently to any other fighter, trainer or cutman, regardless of their status in the game. Like Resto and Lewis, Margarito should be banned for life.

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Controversial Fight Series: Vazquez-Marquez III

With the fourth fight only around the corner, The Boxing Tribune's panel of judges take another look at Israel Vazquez's stunning last gasp victory over Rafael Marquez to win via split decision. But did Marquez do enough to win on the basis of the opening rounds? Dafs117, Siren1927 and Sooterkin are the judges and will decide if the right warrior got the nod in the best trilogy in living memory.

The Tiebreaker - WBC Super Bantamweight Title
ISRAEL VAZQUEZ (42-4, 31 KO, WBC Titleholder)
vs.
RAFAEL MARQUEZ (37-4, 33 KO)
March 1, 2008 | Home Depot Center - Carson, CA

Round 1

"It's on." -- Al Bernstein

Siren 1927 - "Rafael Marquez just edges the round in what is probably the tamest round of the trilogy, they only go to war for two of the three minutes, which in this series is quite disapointing!" 10-9 Marquez

Dafs117 - "Vazquez starts on the inside, with Marquez looking to score with the jab. Marquez lands a sweet counter left after Vazquez misses with a left hook. Vicious left hook to the body from Marquez. Vazquez stuck with a jab, but fires back with some body work of his own. Marquez stuns Vazquez, but Vazquez comes back with an uppercut of his own. Vazquez is punishing Marquez on the inside, before Marquez rocks Vazquez with a hook. Great start." 10-9 Marquez

Sooterkin - "Bright start from both fighters, but Marquez edges the round with the better work behind the jab." 10-9 Marquez

Round 2

Siren1927 - "Great round with lively back and forth action. Both guys are really going at it, amazing action from both sides. 10-10 is probably fair, but as you all know we don't do even rounds in The Boxing Tribune." 10-9 Vazquez

Dafs117 - "Vazquez doubles up on the jab, and now they have a jabbing contest. Vazquez backs Rafael to the ropes, but Marquez wisely gets out quickly. A stiff jab from Marquez, and a right from Vazquez makes Marquez think twice about coming forward off the jab. Hook to the body from Vazquez, Marquez keeps jabbing. Those are just brutal jabs. Marquez is winning this round again. Vazquez shakes Marquez! Marquez shakes Vazquez! Monster left hook to the body from Marquez." 10-9 Marquez

Sooterkin - "It's a level pegging round until the final minute or so, where Marquez's greater jab work and a huge left hook to the body wins him the round." 10-9 Marquez

Round 3

Siren1927 - "Marquez dominates the round and wins it on pure activity in my opinion. Another great round." 10-9 Marquez

Dafs117 - "From the 15 rounds that they've fought so far, we've learned that as hard as Marquez hits, Vazquez hits harder. As good a boxer as Vazquez is, Marquez is better. And it looks to stay that way here. They're trading inside again. Vazquez opens with a counter right. Vazquez is definitely the aggressor, but Marquez lands again with that 1-2 combo that Vazquez defended so well in the second fight. Hard right from Vazquez, and follows up with a left hook. The first low blow from Marquez. Just a warning this time. Slight edge to Vazquez." 10-9 Vazquez

Sooterkin - "The aggression from Vazquez topped with the accurate hooks and body work win him a very tough round that could really go either way." 10-9 Vazquez

Round 4

Siren1927 - "Marquez outboxes Vazquez for the majority of the round, before dropping him. Then with fifty seconds to go in the round, the fight finally wakes up as they both get hurt, swing for the fences and show us what the word heart actually means." 10-9 Marquez (-1 knockdown for Vasquez)

Dafs117 - "Long right from Vazquez lands, followed by a body attack. Nice right from Marquez, countered with a solid left from Vazquez. They trade their signature punches, Marquez's straight right and Vazquez's left hook. Marquez is back to controlling the fight with his jab. A left hook from Marquez stuns Vazquez, and a right hand to follow and down goes Vazquez! He's up and a little wobbly, but he comes back straight on Marquez! Amazing stuff, Marquez is wobbled! Left hook from Vazquez, right hand from Marquez! Left hook clatters Vazquez, and another right from Marquez! Right from Vazquez, uppercut from Marquez! BELL!" 10-9 Marquez (-1 knockdown for Vasquez)

Sooterkin - "The best round of the trilogy, as Marquez floors Vazquez with a solid right hand, before Vazquez comes off the canvas to wobble Marquez. Great stuff." 10-9 Marquez (-1 knockdown for Vasquez)

After 4 Rounds: Siren1927: 39-36 Marquez; Dafs117: 39-36 Marquez; Sooterkin: 39-36 Marquez;

Round 5

Siren1927 - "Another fantastic round, Izzy edged it on the basis of better work and more accurate power shots." 10-9 Vazquez

Dafs117 - "Just about recovered from the last round, ready for the next? Accurate combo from Marquez, but Vazquez comes back with a 1-2 of his own. This is incredible! Vazquez with an uppercut, Marquez with a left hook. Vazquez stings him with a short check hook. Big left hook from Vazquez! Marquez is wobbled, but lands a thudding body shot. Vazquez is now getting inside and doing his thing. Huge straight right from Marquez! Vazquez is getting beaten pretty soundly at this point. The jab is scoring, the right hand is now effective, and his left hook might even be outscoring him too." 10-9 Marquez

Sooterkin - "Marquez with the better work again this round, working behind the jab and scoring to the body effectively." 10-9 Marquez

Round 6

Siren1927 - "Marquez starts well and controls the whole round until the last fifty seconds, where he's stunned by Vazquez for a second after a wonderful combination. However, it's not enough to take the round on my card." 10-9 Marquez

Dafs117 - "Out they come again, Vazquez throws a 1-2 and they keep trading, there are no breaks in action, nothing stops either of them from fighting forward. Vazquez is working the combinations much more than he has in the previous rounds. Marquez's jab has been amazing tonight, keeping Vazquez from fighting in the pocket for a long period of time. Stinging right hand from Vazquez, who hurts Marquez again! The tension is growing, and this is a close round. A Marquez round, but Vazquez is rocking Marquez and slowly getting himself back in the fight. My card is very wide towards Marquez, but every point has been earned." 10-9 Marquez

Sooterkin - "Vazquez stuns Marquez a couple of times in the round, and his body of work is greater than Marquez's jab work." 10-9 Vazquez

Round 7

Siren1927 - "Anybody got a coin? Vazquez dominates early but then Rafael comes back with a cracking left hook-straight right combo but then he's hurt by Vazquez and I'm mentally drained watching the fight. God knows how those two feel." 10-9 Vazquez

Dafs117 - "Vazquez and Marquez come out once again firing on all cylinders. Hard short right from Vazquez, who hurts Marquez again. Marquez is known for fading in these rounds. Vazquez is looking a lot better this round. Crunching right from Marquez to the side of the head then a shot to the chest. Vazquez throws two jabs and corners Marquez, who escapes once more. This is a super round for Vazquez, but Marquez comes back with a combo! Marquez hurts him again, left hook to the jaw! Marquez with a nasty uppercut! Marquez is measuring him! Hard shots land in bulk! Brilliant round!" 10-9 Vazquez

Sooterkin - "A thrilling round with back and forth action throughout, where Marquez seems to make a comeback to level up the round, but I don't think he's done enough." 10-9 Vazquez

Round 8

Siren1927 - "Pass me that coin again Dafs. I've given this to Izzy by the margin of a cigarette paper. Both of them trade bombs, both continue to steal the momentum from the other. If only all fights were like this." 10-9 Vazquez

Dafs117 - "Marquez with combos, and now they trade absolute bombs. Another hard-fought round, and this one has been really even. Vazquez scores with 1-2's, taking the lead. Big right from Vazquez. Marquez answers back! Marquez with hard shots on the inside, taking control once again. Can this get any better? Massive right from Vazquez! Right uppercut from Vazquez! These two men are warriors. Marquez is getting tagged!" Vazquez 10-9

Sooterkin - "Vazquez is beginning to catch Marquez a lot now with big rights and uppercuts. Quite a big Vazquez round." 10-9 Vazquez

After 8 Rounds: Siren1927: 76-75 Marquez; Dafs117: 77-74 Marquez; Sooterkin 76-75 Marquez;

Round 9

Siren1927 - "Marquez edges it for me by clearly hurting Vasquez at the end of the round. Otherwise its a coin toss again." 10-9 Marquez

Dafs117 - "Vazquez's eye looks quite bad. Marquez with a left hook, but Vazquez just won't stop pressurizing. Vazquez is controlling this round again, and he's taking any momentum from Marquez. The combos from Marquez aren't as quick as they were earlier. Vazquez drilled with a straight right, luckily for him the bell comes to save him." 10-9 Vazquez

Sooterkin - "Vazquez with the greater work, and Marquez looks a little tired as we approach the final stages of the fight." 10-9 Vazquez

Round 10

Siren1927 - "A close round in which Rafa shades for his beautiful combination punching. Pat Russel did the correct thing by taking a point off Marquez for the low blow. Is it just me or would any other referee bar Capuchino and Mercante have spoiled this fight? Marquez round." 10-9 Marquez [-1 deduction for Marquez]

Dafs117 - "Vazquez putting the pressure on at the beginning of the tenth round. Marquez's jab is no longer halting Vazquez, as it's just not being thrown or landed much. Vazquez corners him again, but yet again Marquez gets out of there fast. Good shots from Rafael Marquez, a three-punch combo, all of it landing. Vazquez lands a right, and what, is that really what I think it is... A clinch! Marquez with a low blow, and that's the point deduction for Marquez. That could be a big deal come scorecards." 10-9 Marquez [-1 deduction for Marquez]

Sooterkin - "That point deduction could make a big difference to the final scorecards. Marquez wins the round, he looks to be back to his best." 10-9 Marquez [-1 deduction for Marquez]

Round 11

Siren1927 - "Vazquez takes the round for me, he just can't miss with that right hand at the moment and he is clearly dictating the pace in round eleven. Marquez comes back late but its just not enough to overshadow the body of work done earlier by Vasquez." 10-9 Vazquez

Dafs117 - "Vazquez and Marquez will not stop punching. It's special. It's historical. Stiff jab from Marquez, and then with a right. This is fantastic stuff. Vazquez races after Marquez and lands that trademark left hook that's been well defended from Marquez up until now." 10-9 Vazquez

Sooterkin - "It's an even round up until the final minute, where Vazquez presses Marquez and lands the cleaner shots." 10-9 Vazquez

Round 12

Siren1927 - "What a call by Pat Russell. Any other referee would have ended the fight at that knockdown. Instead, Pat used his common sense and allowed the last few seconds to let the fight finish. Izzy dominates this round add in the knockdown and Vasquez wins the fight on my card despite being behind the entire fight." 10-9 Vazquez [-1 knockdown for Marquez]

Dafs117 - "The crowd are going wild, on their feet cheering the warriors on. They touch gloves, and here we go! Vazquez smacks Marquez with a straight right hand and looks physically a lot stronger right now. Vazquez is absolutely owning it. Another right rocks Vazquez and the crowd can't believe it, and neither can I! Vazquez is destroying Marquez, who has no other option but to hold on. He can't do anything else. Vazquez with a 1-2, then a right on the ropes. Marquez hangs on! VAZQUEZ IS GOING FOR IT AND DRILLS HIM AGAIN! MARQUEZ GOES DOWN! THE BELL SOUNDS, WHAT A FIGHT! WHAT A FIGHT!" 10-9 Vazquez [-1 knockdown for Marquez]

Sooterkin - "Brilliant final round from Vazquez, who's hungry for the knockout and hunts down a demoralised Marquez who is hanging onto the ropes before being drilled by Vazquez and called a knockdown. Great round from Vazquez." 10-9 Vazquez [-1 knockdown for Marquez]

Official Scores: Max DeLuca 114-111 Vazquez; Tom Kaczmarek 114-111 Marquez; James Jen-Kin 113-112 Vazquez;

Israel Vazquez successfully defends his WBC title via split decision

BTBC Scorecards: Siren1927: 113-112 Vazquez; Dafs117 113-112 Vazquez; Sooterkin 114-111 Vazquez;

Israel Vazquez successfully defends his WBC title via unanimous decision

BTBC Combined Scorecard

Round 1 - 10-9 Marquez (0-3);
Round 2 - 10-9 Marquez (1-2);
Round 3 - 10-9 Vazquez (2-1);
Round 4 - 10-9 Marquez (0-3) [-1 knockdown for Vazquez];
Round 5 - 10-9 Marquez (1-2);
Round 6 - 10-9 Marquez (1-2);
Round 7 - 10-9 Vazquez (3-0);
Round 8 - 10-9 Vazquez (3-0);
Round 9 - 10-9 Vazquez (2-1);
Round 10 - 10-9 Marquez (0-3) [-1 deduction for Marquez];
Round 12 - 10-9 Vazquez (3-0);
Round 12 - 10-9 Vazquez (3-0) [-1 knockdown for Marquez];

Total: Vazquez 113-112;

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Nothing Different From Dominant Ortiz

by Dafs117

Victor Ortiz won for the third time since Marcos Maidana handed him a heavy sixth-round technical knockout beating eleven months ago, and despite shutting out a cooked Nate Campbell, Ortiz showed no signs that he’s adapted his predictable style that came undone against a hungrier, less-skilled opponent.

His ferociousness has made him a marketable fighter, along with a backstory which will always make fans root for him. But when he fell short of the promise land, his bloodthirstiness deteriorated into a tentative boxer that lacks killer instinct, which normally are the first words associated with the Golden Boy prospect.

Ortiz’s profile will always be overshadowed by his infamous post-fight interview with Max Kellerman, where he let slip the worrying quote for any talented boxer “I don’t think I should get beat up like that.” There will always be a question mark over his mentality, which made some experts pick Nate Campbell to roll back the years and lure him into a testing brawl.

Like Bigswa mentioned on his exceptional podcast, Golden Boy would not choose Campbell for Ortiz unless they were utterly convinced that he was shot. They are still in the re-mapping process with Ortiz, and were trying to get some rounds against a faded name fighter to re-build his status.

Campbell clearly has no business at 140 pounds, and had nothing in the ring. But what left me disappointed with Ortiz’s performance was his lack of desire to make a statement as he made no effort to chase the stoppage, a complete contrast to promotional light welterweight rival Amir Khan.

I just get the feeling that Richard Schaefer is waiting for Devon Alexander to drop one of his titles and gift-wrap it to Ortiz to hold hostage on HBO World Championship Boxing. After re-watching his performance, I can’t help but predicting that Ortiz will fold against anyone who offers a little bit of pressure, someone who holds a slight advantage in either speed or power.

There’s one fight that Victor Ortiz badly needs, and that’s a rematch with Maidana. Maidana stole Ortiz’s pride, taking away the lighthearted side that we saw a peek of when he whooped overmatched step-ups Jeffrey Resto and Mike Arnaoutis.

And until he defeats Maidana, I can’t see Ortiz competitive against any of the titlists. When he’s matched with any resistance, who knows how Ortiz will react. He has the talent to mix it up at the top, and he showed glimpses of it against Campbell as he perfected combinations with slick movement. But I don't think he knows it. Unless he finds that ruthlessness that made him an awkward opponent, or maybe even a simple change in setup, Ortiz will suffer in the shadows of Golden Boy's new blue-eyed boy, Amir Khan.

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Kevin Mitchell: The Modern Day Cinderella Man

by Dafs117

A year and a half ago, Kevin Mitchell’s dream was over. A persistent hand injury forced him to take a lengthy layoff, flirting with retirement as he slaved on the train tracks to get by. It was set to be a sad end to a promising career which had already surpassed domestic level.

Mitchell persevered through the tough times, but was still struggling to make ends meet. After his hand had fully healed, Frank Warren knew that it was time to turn his undefeated prospect into a top 10 contender. The introduction of Jimmy Tibbs was an inspired change, as the veteran domestic trainer polished the reckless wild slugger into a well-rounded boxer.

Tibbs' re-branding process of Mitchell started with adding a more efficient jab and straight right hand to his arsenal. After successful public sparring sessions against Lanquaye Wilson and Rudy Encarnarcion, Tibbs regenerated Mitchell’s ability to find angles from the amateur days into an effective, multi-dimensional ‘Dagenham Destroyer’.

And on December 5, those world title aspirations were ignited again, this time at lightweight. He gave Breidis Prescott the boxing lesson that rival Amir Khan was supposed to play out in 2008, impressively out-shining Khan who headlined the card that night.

Mitchell could go one step further than Khan with a win over Michael Katsidis, a fighter that has constantly called out Khan to no prevail.

Say what you want about Katsidis’ goofy helmet, the guy comes to fight. His electrifying fights with Joel Casamyor, Graham Earl and Czar Amonsot has made Katsidis a fan favourite, gathering more tags as the modern day Arturo Gatti every time he steps into the square circle.

In his 28 professional outings, there has not been much ‘D’ from Katsidis. He prefers to walk through punches to land his own bombs, and this proved to be his downfall in his biggest career fights. Against the underrated then-champion Joel Casamayor,
Katsidis was flattened twice in the first, before weathering the early storm to floor Casamayor in the sixth. However, the lack of defense allowed Casamyor to consistently land power punches which drained Katsidis, forcing a stoppage in the tenth round.

The story wasn’t too different in the fight with Juan Diaz. Diaz threw quick 1-2 combinations before spinning away from Katsidis, who could not block any punches thrown by Diaz in the earlier rounds. Diaz utilized the jab to full effect, keeping Katsidis at bay to win a deserved split decision. It wasn’t the case that Diaz won the fight, it was more of what Katsidis could have polished since his defeat to Casamayor.

Since then, Katsidis has hammered home two impressive, but gruelling wins over a post-prime Jesus Chavez, and contender Vicente Escobedo, who exposed the flaws that Team Mitchell will be hoping to capitalise on at Upton Park come May 15.

Despite his background, the media have continued to turn a blind eye on Mitchell by concentrating on the Olympic silver medallist, Khan. This is Mitchell's chance to fill in Khan's spot as he plys his trade across the pond, completing his fairytale story in the process.

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Was Boxing Partly At Fault For Valero's Madness?

by Dafs117

In February 2001, Edwin Valero was involved in a near fatal motorbike accident in which he fractured his skill and had surgery to remove a blood clot. Had he been wearing a helmet, his injuries would not be half as severe. Despite the life threatening injury, El Inca was cleared by Venezuelan doctors to begin his professional boxing career.

Three years and twelve first-round knockouts later, Valero signed with Golden Boy Promotions and was heavily tagged as the next big star. His recklessly aggressive style and consistent offense was reminiscent of Pipino Cuevas, who made the most of his abilities to successfully defend his WBA welterweight title eleven times before Thomas Hearns ended his champion run.

But his chances of emulating Cuevas’ achievements were slim when an MRI scan exploited the full extent of his injuries. He had the most traumatic of brain irregularity, a tear inside the cranium, which is the most fragile part of the brain and thus ending all chance of capturing an American boxing license to appear on the planned HBO Boxing After Dark card.

With the strict safety regulations in the sport, Valero should not have been able to continue with his condition. In my opinion, any fighter who suffers bleeding on the brain should never be allowed to ply their trade in the square circle, no matter how talented they are. But sometimes as is the case in boxing, promoters and advisers could see the dollar signs flashing and in interest of their own bank account, persuaded Valero to risk his life every time he stepped in the ring.

As he rose through the ranks picking up a 130 pound trinket on the way, Valero had established himself as a household name in his home country, building a strong relationship with President Hugo Chavez.

With everybody treating Valero like a king and Top Rank offering him a bumper contract, you could sense an aura of invincibility creeping in on Valero’s behalf. Soon after his destruction of Antonio Pituala to become a two-weight world champion, Valero began to find himself in hot water time and time again.

Allegedly, Valero has been involved in multiple incidents, including domestic violence charges against his mother, sister and wife, possession of illegal firearms, a long list of traffic infringements with a DUI charge in Texas, solvent abuse, and probably many more that the government turned a blind eye on and never got reported.

It was only last month that Valero was suspected for beating up his wife, who didn’t press charges and claimed to have fallen down the stairs. If only someone closer to the pair would have been brave enough to read the situation at the time, two lives could have been saved and two children would not be orphaned.

But how about if somebody had told Valero the day he received the results of the MRI scan that he would never be allowed to box again, and that simply ignoring his injury is a risk not worth taking?

When you have a condition similar to Valero, the last thing you should do as a profession is get hit in the head. Every punch that landed on Valero’s temple increased the percentage of him getting Dementia or Alzheimer’s in the future.

Unlike other parts of the body, the brain doesn’t heal. Our bodies don’t know how to repair the nervous tissue damage, and different to other organs such as skin and muscle where a scar will be marked, the damage area forms a clot in the aftermath to cut the loss of red blood cells. The consequence of that fragile clot tearing and causing the brain to bleed again is one that would have tarnish the sport had it happened in the ring, or even in training.

Major changes in blood flow certainly has an effect on the body and changes many things, including your temperament. The reckless combination of excessive drinking and drug taking could have deteriorated his condition and weakened his brain function, making him irritable.

The theory is far-fetched, but not out of the question. Valero might be a nutcase that when drunk, as he was when he murdered his wife, that he spirals out of control and into a completely different character. Once the full weight of his actions crash down, Valero admits that his actions are wrong and often left off the hook by the Venezuelan police, but this was one weight too heavy.

Valero and his wife’s deaths have rocked the boxing world, and the sport needs to set out strict clear-cut safety guidelines for every country, state commission and alphabet organization to follow. Talented fighters should not be given passes or sneak through the back door as Valero did by fighting in Japan and Mexico. Boxing is a dangerous enough sport as it is, without possessive handlers pressurizing the flexibility of vital rules.

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Funeka and Guzman Exploit Boxing Weaknesses

by Dafs117

Ali Funeka and Joan Guzman defied the odds to keep the IBF lightweight title vacant after 24 rounds of exchanging leather. But the controversy caused from the two fights has riled many boxing fans, reminding us of the negative side to our sport.

The first fight raised the all-too common problem of poor scoring. The majority thought Ali Funeka had cruised to a unanimous decision victory, with Harold Lederman’s unofficial ringside scorecard at a wide 117-111, and The BTBC's very similar. Michael Buffer announced a majority draw leaving many scratching their heads, even Guzman.

Funeka’s promoter Gary Shaw immediately filed a protest, which like countless protests came to nothing. Funeka however kept his #1 IBF ranking, and when Rolando Reyes vacated his challenger spot, Joan Guzman eagerly stepped in as his replacement.

HBO had already showed their interest in screening Funeka's next bout, agreeing to broadcast on March 27. This was another massive opportunity for Funeka or Guzman to solidify themselves as a HBO fighter and gain further TV time in the future.

Guzman, not that surprisingly, failed to make weight for the second Funeka fight. Just a look at his previous record shows that Guzman has struggled to shed the pounds, again on HBO versus Nate Campbell. What was surprising was that he weighed in nine pounds heavy, an action of unprofessionalism and a show of disrespect towards the game and Funeka as a person.

The IBF could not let the opportunity of sanction fees go by, and decreed that the fight could take place as long as Guzman didn't weigh more than 150 pounds by 7 am on Saturday. Funeka could fill the vacancy, Guzman could not.

Guzman was fined 25% of his purse by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), who gave half of it to Funeka while the other half went into the NSAC's bank account. Guzman entered the ring one, or possibly two weight classes above Funeka, who simply couldn't deal with Guzman's speed and power, losing a twelve-round split decision.

Recent revelations reveal that Funeka was busted for using hydrochlorothiazide, a banned diuretic that helps fighters make weight. The fight gets more meaningless after every shocking development.

HBO should come down hard on Guzman and Funeka, giving neither any broadcasting time in the future. HBO would be sending out all the right signals with regard to a fighter's past record of failing to make weight or drug test.

It's sad to see two fighters who fought at the highest level embarrass themselves by cheating on the biggest stage of their professional careers to try and gain an unfair advantage over their opponent.

Over the past decade, people have been crying out for a change in the boxing setup, fed-up with the way that the sport is run. But this fight is a prime example that boxing has not changed, and the same old antics keep popping up.

These weaknesses and faults were vivid in Funeka-Guzman. Poor scoring from inexperienced judges who are fast-tracked too quickly; promoters acting like managers, creating one publicity stunt after another; greedy alphabet organizations who make a living out of commission fees and a joke out of any Championship; and maybe worst of all, two ill-disciplined fighters who are willing to cheat their way to the top by putting their lives, and their opponents' lives, at risk.

Boxing is slowly climbing out of a slump, but farce fights like this endanger any valuable progress. The boxing world needs to take a stand against the above issues, and there's no time like the present.

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Caballero Catalyst For Gamboa-Lopez

by Dafs117

Andre Berto might have headlined HBO’s first World Championship Boxing broadcast of the year, but it was Celestino Caballero who produced the most impressive display on the card, dominating previously unbeaten Daud Yordan to win a near shutout unanimous decision.

Former junior featherweight champion Caballero debuted at featherweight and on HBO, looking excellent and a clear threat to those who currently hold a position in the top 5. He displayed everything in his arsenal in throwing 1,248 punches, connecting with 325, ranging from jabs, to right uppercuts, to wincing body shots. The ‘Towering Inferno’ is a suitable alias considering his 5’ 11’’ frame, the same height as Joe Calzaghe, who fought 50 pounds heavier.

However, despite producing his best display since he crushed Steve Molitor in four rounds, it might hurt his chances of landing a big fight when the time comes to discuss his options.

He’s rumoured to face Cuban sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa on July 24, but I’ll prompt a guess that Bob Arum will hesitate matching one of his brightest stars against the awkward Panamanian after watching ‘El Pelenchin’ last night. The risk of fighting Caballero before the ‘Best Featherweight Showdown’ is one not worth taking in my opinion, and probably in Arum’s mind too.

The danger that Caballero possesses could force Gamboa and Lopez to meet up quicker than expected. The tentative announcement of Summer 2011 from Bob Arum might be brought forward, unless they are entirely convinced that Gamboa will beat Caballero.

One of Caballero’s reasons for moving up in weight was to find these career best paydays and major events, and this could be a real setback for him. Caballero has called out Lopez over and over to no avail, claiming the fight had been signed when it hadn’t. They’ve exchanged a few fiery comments, but it looks from an outsiders’ point of view that Lopez doesn’t want anything to do with Caballero. Why would he? The guy is a handful on a bad day, but he’s a mighty tough proposition for anyone when he’s on song.

If they do decide to avoid Caballero, the excuse for Top Rank is already out, as both camps are already disagreeing over money issues. Warrior Boxing, Caballero’s handlers, claim that they are a long way off reaching an agreement over purse percentage, giving Arum's PR more than enough to work with.

It was great to see Caballero at his best again, as he hadn’t been at the same level since the Molitor win. This conjures up more excitement in the already crammed featherweight division, which can only be good news for fight fans and Bob Arum alike.

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Dafs' Pound-4-Pound Update (Part 1)

The Ring have told us "to expect major shake-ups" in their pound-4-pound ratings in the coming months, so I thought I'd weigh-in with my personal mythical rankings. I'll rank twenty-five of the world's best fighters for you to agree, or most probably disagree and wave your fists at the computer screen in anger. Three of the best is the fighter's three best victories or draws from 2007 onwards and last ranking is self-explanatory. Without further ado, here's 25-11.

#25 Devon Alexander (USA) (20-0, 13 KO) [Junior Welterweight]

Three of the best: Jesus Rodriguez KO-9; Junior Witter RTD-8; Juan Urango TKO-8;
Last Ranking: Not Rated

Two impressive wins over former titlists have shot Alexander up to the top 25 and I expect Alexander's rise to continue if he keeps winning against high level opposition.

#24 Juan Manuel Lopez (PUR) (28-0, 25 KO) [Featherweight]

Three of the best: Daniel Ponce de Leon TKO-1; Rogers Mtagwa UD-12; Steven Luevano TKO-7;
Last Ranking: Not Rated

Lopez enters after a solid performance against Steven Luevano. His next fight is against Bernabe Concepcion on July 10 in Juanma's first defense of his WBO title.

#23 Chris John (IND) (43-0-2, 20 KO) [Featherweight]

Three of the best: Roinet Caballero RTD-7; Hiryoki Enoki UD-12; Rocky Juarez UD-12;
Last Ranking: #22

John keeps dropping down the rankings and it's his longevity that keeps him in my top 25. He needs to face a top 10 contender to solidify his position, and his next opponent Fernando David Saucedo doesn't qualify as a legit opponent.

#22 Celestino Caballero (PAN) (33-2, 23 KO) [Featherweight]

Three of the best: Lorenzo Parra TKO-12; Steve Molitor TKO-4; Jeffrey Mathebula SD-12;
Last Ranking: #21

The third featherweight in a row, Caballero drops but is still hunting down the big guns in search of a healthy payday. He faces Daud Yordan this coming Saturday in a tough fight for the Panamanian.

#21 David Haye (GBR) (24-1, 22 KO) [Heavyweight]

Three of the best: Jean Marc-Mormeck TKO-7; Nikolay Valuev MD-12; John Ruiz TKO-9;
Last Ranking: #23

Two-weight world champion Haye moves up two places following his impressive stoppage victory over John Ruiz. Hopefully, we can see Haye match-up with a Klitschko before the end of 2010.

#20 Vitali Klitschko (UKR) (38-2, 36 KO) [Heavyweight]

Three of the best: Sam Peter RTD-8; Juan Carlos Gomez TKO-9; Chris Arreola RTD-10;
Last Ranking: #20

Big bro' keeps his position and his next defense is against Albert Sosnowski, which is a fight that can only damage his ranking.

#19 Miguel Cotto (PUR) (34-2, 27 KO) [Junior Middleweight]

Three of the best: Zab Judah TKO-11; Shane Mosley UD-12; Joshua Clottey SD-12;
Last Ranking: #18

Miguel Cotto drops one place because of a new entry, and his scheduled fight against Yuri Foreman will guarantee movement for the two-weight world champion.

#18 Sergio Martinez (ARG) (44-2-2, 24 KO) [Middleweight]

Three of the best: Saul Roman KO-4; Alex Bunema RTD-8; Kermit Cintron D-12;
Last Ranking: #17

Martinez could possibly enter the top 10 with a win against Kelly Pavlik in a fortnight at Atlantic City. His performance against Paul Williams is the reason he's ranked at #18.

#17 Andre Ward (USA) (21-0, 13 KO) [Super Middleweight]

Three of the best: Henry Buchanan UD-12; Edison Miranda UD-12; Mikkel Kessler TD-11;
Last Ranking: #16

Andre Ward is now the favourite to win the Super 6 Boxing Classic 168-pound tournament after he annihilated Mikkel Kessler to win his first world title. Allan Green is his next opponent.

#16 Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (THI) (75-3-1, 39 KO) [Flyweight]

Three of the best: Daisuke Naito D-12; Julio Cesar Miranda UD-12; Koki Kameda MD-12;
Last Ranking: Not Rated

Wonjongkam regained his WBC title with a victory over Koki Kameda where he also won The Ring Championship belt in the process. Plenty of big money fights on the table for Wongjongkam, and maybe he can rise further up the pound-4-pound stakes if he keeps defeating his rivals.

#15 Nonito Donaire (PHI) (23-1, 15 KO) [Junior Bantamweight]

Three of the best: Vic Darchinyan TKO-5; Raul Martinez TKO-4; Rafael Concepcion UD-12;
Last Ranking: #15

Donaire hasn't capitalised on his spectacular kayo victory over Vic Darchinyan, but an interesting rematch maybe on the cards. Can three pounds make a difference?

#14 Kelly Pavlik (USA) (36-1, 32 KO) [Middleweight]

Three of the best: Edison Miranda TKO-7; Jermain Taylor TKO-7; Marco Antonio Rubio RTD-9;
Last Ranking: #14

Pavlik would be edging near the top 5 had he not been humiliated by Bernard Hopkins, but now finds himself re-building a damaged reputation with Martinez next up.

#13 Carl Froch (GBR) (26-0, 20 KO) [Super Middleweight]

Three of the best: Jean Pascal UD-12; Jermain Taylor TKO-12; Andre Dirrell SD-12;
Last Ranking: #13

The highest rank Brit is at #13 and his impressive resume of opponents could feature Mikkel Kessler on April 17.

#12 Ivan Calderon (PUR) (33-0-1, 6 KO) [Junior Flyweight]

Three of the best: Nelson Dieppa UD-12; Hugo Cazares TD-7; Rodel Mayol TD-7;
Last Ranking: #12

Calderon was slated to face Brian Viloria before the 'Hawaiian Punch' lost to Carlos Tamara, and now the undefeated Calderon faces mandatory challenger Johnriel Casimero who's an up and coming dangerous Filipino.

#11 Lucian Bute (ROM) (25-0, 20 KO) [Super Middleweight]

Three of the best: Sakio Bika UD-12; Alejandro Berrio TKO-11; Librado Andrade KO-4;
Last Ranking: #11

The best super middleweight outside of Showtime's tournament will face Edison Miranda this month with one eye on the outcome of Pavlik-Martinez who fight in the co-feature on HBO.

UP - Devon Alexander NR to #25; Juan Manuel Lopez NR to #24; David Haye #23 to #21; Pongsaklek Wonjongkam NR to #16

DOWN - Fernando Montiel #25 to NR; Tomasz Adamek #24 to NR; Chris John #22 to #23; Celestino Caballero #21 to #22; Arthur Abraham #19 to NR; Miguel Cotto #18 to #19; Sergio Martinez #17 to #18; Andre Ward #16 to #17;

The rankings will continue tomorrow with part 2, ranging from 10-1.

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Valero Problems Create American Burden

by Dafs117

Edwin Valero's professional record maybe perfect, but his lifestyle is definitely blemished, as the knockout machine has been placed in a psychiatric rehabilitation center for six months, where they hope to cure his alcohol and drug related problems.

El Inca had mapped out plans for capturing a US boxing license after his recent run of victories, but a failed MRI scan in 2004 still raises concerns over his safety in the ring, and the major commissions don't want to run the risk of fatality in their state.

His actions outside the ring have not helped his cause, with Valero often in trouble with the law in Venezuela. Allegations of domestic violence rose again after his wife was hospitalized with a punctured lung. Other incidents include possession of illegal firearms and a DUI charge in Texas, which stops him from fighting in one of the most tolerant of states.

His chances of building on his best career victory over Antonio DeMarco have indefinitely put on hold. The offers were coming in and he was considered as Juan Manuel Marquez's biggest threat to his lightweight championship, but the momentum gathered seems to be lost.

The repercussions have already kicked-in, with his planned move to light welterweight to face Lamont Peterson put on hold for now. The fight was destined for HBO, who only have interest in Valero when he fights on American soil as they like to invest in boxers they can build, and it would be a tougher sell for them to showcase Valero if he doesn't have a US license.

The worry is that Valero's career will rot if he can't get the fights to advance his career, especially if his fights take place in Mexico, where the biggest names would demand that their fights take place on American turf as there's more money in the pot. This limits his options, and without lucrative fights, HBO will steer away as he's not an attractive investment. With Valero without a license and in no fit state to fight, his name will be quickly erased from the broadcasting shortlist.

The thought that we might not see Valero in the ring again is worrying, as he's an all-action fighter and the sport needs exciting fighters to expand it's fanbase. It's disappointing that such a great talent is struggling with personal issues, but it's good to see him getting the help he needs.

They say when you've got it all, you've got it all to lose, and one would hope that this isn't the case with Valero. His dream of becoming a superstar hangs in the balance, as the American officials and fight fans alike wait on further developments out of Venezuela.

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Magno vs. Machine: The Decision

After a long-winded process that has lasted six months, we have finally come to the end of Magno vs. Machine.

And after twelve rounds of evenly-fought action, we have a split decision on the cards.

And the winner, of the 21st century boxing-related battle of man vs. machine, by split decision... Paul Magno!

Paul Magno sneaked the victory with the last fight of the contest, predicting a Dirrell victory in the Super 6 Boxing Classic fight against Arthur Abraham on March 27.

Both predictor records were impressive, with Magno (17-3, 2 KO) and the Machine (16-4, 3 KO), who predicted the correct winner twelve times in a row from November through March.

Paul Magno has kept his reputation as the boxing encyclopedia in human form, and achieved John Henry’s feat of defeating a multi-functional machine in Title Bout Championship Boxing 2.5.

The Machine is considering filing a protest about the decision, but it would likely be snubbed by The Boxing Tribune, who sanctioned the bout. However, both camps have entered negotiations for a rematch later on in the year.

Prediction History

Abraham-Taylor: Abraham UD 12 (Magno); Abraham TKO 2 (Machine);
Froch-Dirrell: Dirrell SD 12 (Magno); Dirrell SD 12 (Machine);
Haye-Valuev: Haye TKO 7 (Magno); Haye UD 12 (Machine);
Dawson-Johnson: Dawson UD 12 (Magno); Dawson UD 12 (Machine);
Pacquiao-Cotto: Pacquiao TKO 5 (Magno); Pacquiao TKO 7 (Machine);
Kessler-Ward: Ward UD 12 (Magno); Kessler KO 9 (Machine);
Guzman-Funeka I: Guzman UD 12 (Magno); Funeka TKO 10 (Machine);
Bute-Andrade: Bute UD 12 (Magno); Bute UD 12 (Machine);
Williams-Martinez: Williams UD 12 (Magno); Williams TKO 10 (Machine);
Vitali-Johnson: Vitali TKO 9 (Magno); Vitali TKO 9 (Machine);
Bradley-Peterson: Bradley SD 12 (Magno); Bradley UD 12 (Machine);
Malignaggi-Diaz II: Malignaggi SD 12 (Magno); Malignaggi UD 12 (Machine);
Gamboa-Mtagwa: Gamboa UD 12 (Magno); Gamboa TKO 7 (Machine);
Lopez-Luevano: Lopez TKO 10 (Magno); Lopez MD 12 (Machine);
Johnson-Mack: Mack SD 12 (Magno); Johnson UD 12 (Machine);
Valero-De Marco: Valero TKO 3 (Magno); Valero TKO 6 (Machine);
Alexander-Urango: Alexander UD 12 (Magno); Alexander UD 12 (Machine);
Pacquiao-Clottey: Pacquiao TKO 10 (Magno); Pacquiao TKO 11 (Machine);
Wladimir-Chambers: Wladimir TKO 8 (Magno); Wladimir TKO 7 (Machine);
Dirrell-Abraham: Dirrell UD 12 (Magno); Abraham TKO 11 (Machine)

RESULT: MAGNO (17-3, 2 KO); MACHINE (16-4, 3 KO)

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Allegations of Dirrell Cheating Are Unwarranted

by Dafs117

Experienced writer and analyst, T.K. Stewart, has been the first to openly criticize Andre Dirrell following his disqualification victory over Arthur Abraham at the weekend, accusing Dirrell of 'mock pain and agony' as he was laid flat on the canvas following a cheap shot from Arthur Abraham in Detroit.

Stewart complains that Dirrell faked injury to claim his first victory in the Super 6 Boxing Classic so he can continue on in Showtime's 168-pound tournament.

As always, Arthur Abraham's fan club has used this to back their poorly thought-out argument on how their guy was badly treated by Michigan officials, and how he was robbed of a 32nd career victory.

Dirrell was clearly ahead at this point in the fight and looked relatively comfortable, if slightly tired, as he hopped on his motor scooter and stayed well clear of Abraham, who stalked him looking for another dramatic knockout. The momentum was hardly with Abraham, even though he should have been awarded a knockdown in the tenth.

Stewart goes on to slate referee Laurence Cole, who made the decision to disqualify Abraham after the foul. He claims that Cole "went for the bait - hook, line and sinker", which is uncalled for in my opinion. Cole's job is hard enough without writers like Stewart on his case every time he gets a big fight, constantly referring to this fight for extra credibility from casual fans.

Abraham claims that he "did not see that he was down." Is that his best response? C'mon get real. He'd been looking up at Dirrell, 6'1'' no less, who had been towering over him, 5'9'', all night, but then suddenly Dirrell was clutching Abraham's ankles. Maybe Stewart went for the bait - hook, line and sinker?

Stewart closes his article with "the boxing ring is no place for actors - especially ones as putrid as Andre Dirrell." But the only actor I saw in the ring on Saturday night was Arthur Abraham, who complained and nagged at referee Cole about non-existent low blows. Trying to buy points from officials is a form of cheating, and because he didn't have 'his' referee, frustration boiled over which ultimately led to a thundering right hand from one of the biggest punchers in boxing landing on a defenseless Dirrell.

If Dirrell was acting, he should really try to get a part in an action film, because I was sold. He was obviously not, as he still hadn't realised that he had won moments after he regained consciousness. The twitching, the disorientation; both obvious signs of concussion, was enough for the doctors to make a thorough check on Dirrell in the ring and at the hospital.

The conspiracy theories are flooding in on forums across the web, but you only need to look at other televised fights to see why there is such skepticism of Dirrell. Francisco Lorenzo's melodramatic actions against Humberto Soto is a prime example, even if the aftermath was as despicable. Lorenzo is the scapegoat here, but he and many others are partly responsible for making spectators doubt the true purity of one's actions. It's the same in other sports, not just boxing.

Was Abraham's foul malicious? Probably not, I think it was more out of frustration than anything. It was out-of-character for a guy that has been very laid-back on Fight Camp 360, without even a mention of hatred towards his competitors. His reputation has been tarnished because of one moment of madness. It was a rush of blood to the head type of thing, nothing more.

Everybody's entitled to their opinion, and I'm not trying to brainwash you into thinking that Abraham's shot was intentional, but the correct decision was made. Make up your own mind, the video is here.

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Final Round: Magno vs. Machine

by Dafs117/Paul Magno

Paul Magno’s attempt to emulate John Henry, a figure from American folklore, concludes this week with a slight twist from the normal proceedings.

The toe to toe battle with Title Bout Championship Boxing in a 21st century boxing-related battle of man vs. machine has been competitive, with both still evenly matched going into the final round.

In the final round we’ll be combining the next two weekends, which starts with Wladmir Klitschko making his defense of his heavyweight championship against Eddie Chambers, and concludes with two fighters that kicked-off the contest, Arthur Abraham and Andre Dirrell.

John Henry was successful, but will Magno be?

Wladmir Klitschko vs. Eddie Chambers

Magno: This isn't as easy as some would believe. Chambers, in his last fight, executed the perfect strategy against a taller, stronger Eastern European heavyweight. Yeah, Alexander Dimitrenko is no Klitschko, but nonetheless, it was a perfect game plan that I can see working against Wlad.


I'm tempted to pick Chambers in a shocker, but for the sake of the competition, I'll make the safe pick and say Wladimir Klitschko via TKO 8. But, if Chambers comes to the fight in shape and focused, all bets are off.


Machine: In the machine's view, Wladmir Klitschko is far the better fighter in this fight, and holds all the tools that are required to win this fight. He holds the WBO, IBF, IBO and The Ring Magazine's version of the heavyweight championship. Basically, he's dominating the division.

Eddie Chambers has a slight speed advantage, but everything else points to Klitschko's favour, plus the added incentive of fighting at home, if Klitschko needs some home cooking of course.

The Machine doesn't think he will, and predicts Wladmir Klitschko to be victorious via seventh round technical knockout. Eddie Chambers won't be in the fight at all, and will be picked off by the taller and rangier Klitschko, who'll continue his dominance at the top of the heavyweight division.

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The Event Analysis: Pacquiao Manipulates Clottey

by Dafs117

In front of over 50,000 boxing fans at the impressive Cowboys Stadium in Dallas and the thousands watching on HBO PPV, Manny Pacquiao’s first defense of his WBO welterweight title against Joshua Clottey fell short of its label as ‘The Event.’

From the outset, Pacquiao used his exceptional footwork to dart in and out as he threw combination after combination after combination, being his usual self. Unfortunately, so was Clottey.

‘The Grand Master’ was successful in landing his trademark left uppercuts and his improved right hand, but they were rare spurts in rounds dominated by Pacquiao flicking out straight punches. As the fight gradually increased in intensity, it was all due to Pacquiao and his crowd-pleasing blitzes, not Clottey’s statue stance.

Similar to the Cotto bout, Clottey frustratingly waited for Pacquiao to stop punching before throwing his own leather. He kept his ears warm all night with a tight guard that was rarely broken by Pacquiao, but that didn’t matter to either fighter. Pacquiao was pleased with how easy his night’s work had turned out while Clottey was content with going the distance.

Clottey simply didn’t have the fortitude to make the fight a competitive one. I gave Clottey the second round, and frankly, it was the only round I even considered giving the Ghanaian. It was a landslide, and the stats also displayed how easy it was for Pacquiao. The Filipino threw over 1200 punches, connecting with 20% en route to an emphatic unanimous decision.

I’m amazed that it took until last night for most to figure out that Clottey isn’t great. He’s always been a limited fighter in my view, and the vending machine simile couldn’t have been more suitable. They hyped up Clottey but as 'the devastating brawler' in the TV promo, but they couldn't have been more far-fetched if they'd tried.

Take nothing away from Pacquiao, he was very disciplined. But descriptions of 'a scintillating performance', and 'most impressive victory to date' are just ludicrous. He was scintillating against Hatton, most impressive against Cotto, under-matched against Clottey.

It seemed that Clottey wasn't really that bothered about winning. He was quoted before the fight saying that he would wait until 'Pacquiao punches himself out'. That backfired miserably.

The judges’ scores reflected how one-sided the fight was. 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109 showed the difference in class between both fighters that shared the ring. The BTBC scored it 119-109.

The main event was only part of the problem. The so-called competitive undercard that was badly out of place in a fight labelled 'The Event', was at times cringeworthy.

The potential blood-bath middleweight scrap between John Duddy and Michael Medina was average. It was watchable, even though it had no importance to the division. Duddy won by scores of 96-93 across the board, The BTBC also scored it 96-93. For me, Duddy had improved slightly since his previous fights, but he's still a county mile away from being ready to challenge anyone from the top 25.

My relentless negativity continues, as Alfonso Gomez retired Jose Luis Castillo in the fifth round. Castillo looked awful. He had nothing on his punches, he was slower than Gomez, and he was out-thrown 3 to 1. I read somewhere that Castillo looked worse than he did against Sebastian Lujan, and I agree.

Castillo officially announced his retirement from the sport after the fight.

The chief-support for the PPV card was Humberto Soto vs. David Diaz for Diaz's old WBC lightweight trinket, vacated by Edwin Valero. It's hard to really gauge how good a performance Soto gave, as Diaz is no more than second-tier and he's very limited. Soto is a poor man's Juan Manuel Marquez, he's more dynamic but less skillful. Soto knocked Diaz in the opening and closing rounds. During the fight, Diaz attempted to pressurize Soto, but he was taking counters for the majority of the fight. The judges' scores were 117-109, 117-109 and 115-111. The BTBC scored it 116-110.

The undercard had no drama, no excitement, not even one thrilling moment. Even Soto's knockdowns didn't get the blood pumping.

However, the most bizarre moment came when Jim Lampley's started to play cops and robbers with Max Kellerman at the end of round 8:



The highlight of the night? No doubt about it, the stadium. Nothing but praise for Arum and Jones for making a bold move away from Vegas. Hopefully, a few more fights can be staged in different stadia across the States.

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Stage 11: Magno vs. Machine

We've reached the penultimate round of Paul Magno's long endurance-test battle with the multi-functional predicting machine that is Title Bout Championship Boxing 2.5 no-less. Both are level with only a KO separating them as we reach the final two hurdles. Can Magno level up the KO count this week? Or will a challenger go for broke in a desperate dash towards the finish line?

Magno: Walk in the park for Pacquiao. Clottey is the exact opposite type of fighter needed to beat Manny. He’s slow-footed, passive and robotic. Manny will dart in, dart out and be well out of range before Clottey can even put his hands down from his defensive position. Clottey will defend as long as Manny throws, but Manny won’t tire. For Clottey to win, he’ll have to change his style and mindset completely and develop skills that he has never shown before in his career. I’d be surprised if he manages to win even two rounds. Clottey is a good fighter, just all wrong for Manny. Easy win via TKO or RTD around the 10th as Clottey’s inexperienced corner overreacts and stops the bout amidst the chaos generated by 45 thousand screaming Pacquiao fans.

Machine: The Machine has thought about the possibilities in this fight long and hard, balancing out both fighters' chances of winning the fight. The Machine agrees with the bookmakers, Pacquiao is favourite.

In the 100 simulations, Pacquiao was victorious in most by eleventh round technical knockout. Clottey however won over a quarter of the fights, which makes you wonder if the Machine was onto something.

The only advantage Clottey has is defense and dimensions, which is inconclusive if he crouches into a shell defense. The speed, power and tactics lie in Pacquiao's corner, which makes it hard to see where a Clottey victory can come from.

Current Scores: Magno (14-3, 2 KO); Machine (14-3, 3 KO)

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