The “ten-point must” scoring system, as every fan knows, instructs judges to award a 10-point round to the combatant who better satisfies these four criteria: Clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship and defense. These criteria should also be applied in the order above – if we really need more than two of them.
A One-Year Stand for the Ages, Part II
December 19, 2007 By 43 Comments
Christmas is just around the corner and as we celebrate, a new year awaits for its arrival.
Twelve things of boxing that I want under my tree
December 19, 2007 By Leave a Comment
You’ve heard of that holiday tune, “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Well, here are 12 things yours truly would like to see happen in our beloved sport:
PERSONAL FAVORITES OF 2007
December 17, 2007 By 38 Comments
The past 12 months have produced a host of huge fights, unlike anything seen in years. Credit is due to the promoters and fighters for taking some risks and to the networks for demanding a top quality product for their viewers. Together they managed to return to the concept that to be the best, you fight the best. As a result there is more reason to be optimistic about the sport’s future today than in any time in the past generation.
In search of perspective
December 17, 2007 By Leave a Comment
There’s a tendency to exaggerate the relevance of events that happen in our time. Last week brought evidence of this, with pundits, emailers and message-board habitués all fired up about the historical significance of Floyd Mayweather’s victory over Ricky Hatton. Without scolding ourselves too much, we should ask why we sometimes sacrifice perspective on the altar of current events.
Stuck in a library with a book of boxing records, a layman who searched for prizefighting’s all-time greats wouldn’t pause over the name Mayweather. But if he did, he’d deduce that some of Mayweather’s six titles were quarter-shares in contrived weight classes. And without hype and financial figures to influence him, our layman would find Mayweather’s 39 career victories an unpersuasive tally.
[Read more...]
GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS–GREAT TEAM, BUT THEY WON’T CALL YOU BACK
December 14, 2007 By Leave a Comment
Today I came to praise Golden Boy Promotions, not to bury them. But, keeping it real, we’ll address some constructive criticism before we wrap up for the week.
THE HISTORIC BLUE HORIZON
December 14, 2007 By Leave a Comment
Recently I read that Philadelphia’s legendary Blue Horizon, one of the last bastions of good, entertaining boxing wars in an intimate setting was up for sale. The story was also reported in the most recent issue of Boxing Digest. After reading the first report I called Vernoca Michael, the owner of the Blue Horizon, to hear her position on selling the historic site.
A One Year Stand for the Ages
December 13, 2007 By Leave a Comment
Year 2007 has certainly been a blessing as it provided to be one of the most celebrated and significant years in recent memory for the sport of boxing.
On Thursday, we’ll look at the Saturday night fights.
December 12, 2007 By Leave a Comment
After the Floyd Mayweather Jr. – Ricky Hatton fight last Saturday night, my email was jammed with questions and commentary from fans and colleagues about Floyd. Who should he fight next? How does he stack up with the rest of the talented welterweight division? What would be the outcome of a welterweight tournament? How does Floyd stack up with the great welterweights of the past? Is he one of the greatest of all time?
Cotto prefers “Pretty Golden” opponents
December 11, 2007 By Leave a Comment
It was about noon Saturday in Las Vegas. Reporters had gathered at Wolfgang Puck inside MGM Grand for promoter Bob Arum’s 76th birthday and for some access to his prized fighter – welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.
MAYWEATHER BECOMES HERO AS HATTON LOSES ZERO
December 10, 2007 By Leave a Comment
Floyd Mayweather Jr. may have fought his best fight last Saturday night, stopping England’s Ricky Hatton at 1:35 of round 10. Floyd oozed skill, quickness and defensive ability, and in demonstrating more of a willingness to rumble, we got to see his power on display for the first time in a while.
Where credit is due
December 9, 2007 By 1 Comment
You don’t like Floyd Mayweather. You think he’s immature. You think his trainer should be sweeping gym floors instead of doing hand pad tricks. You think his manager is a cheerleading aerobics instructor. Valid points. But it’s still time to concede that Mayweather is a special fighter.
PRELIMS SPICE UP “UNDEFEATED”
December 7, 2007 By Leave a Comment
A couple of days ago I threw out a teaser that I wasn’t sure that Jeff Lacy would be able to defeat Peter Manfredo Jr. at this point. The two men meet in a 10 round super middleweight fight on the “Undefeated” undercard on Saturday night, with the winner placing himself in position to move on to bigger things, while the loser faces an uphill climb to regain relevance in big time boxing. Lacy in particular, however, goes into the fight with everything on the line.
THE SHOWTIME SHOWCASE
December 6, 2007 By 43 Comments
With seven fights to view on Saturday night, personally I was as happy as a kid on the first day of Hanukkah, with Santa Claus still to come. The Showtime card received a few raspberries in the press, and I think I understand some of the reasons for this, but I wouldn’t throw the baby out with the bath water. Certainly we can all agree that the tripleheader contained some moments of excitement along with one totally useless exercise.
“UNDEFEATED”- IN THE RING, IN THE SPORTSBOOKS, AND AT THE BOX OFFICE
December 6, 2007 By Leave a Comment
A strange thing happened to me last night. I went to sleep as firmly convinced as I have been since the fight was announced that Floyd Mayweather Jr. would take Ricky Hatton to the woodshed for a good spanking on December 8. When I awakened, somehow the thought had entered my mind that Hatton might actually have a shot at this, albeit a teenie-weenie one, and at least give the WBC/Ring Magazine welterweight champion a run for his money.
9 FOR 9 — LIKE SHOOTING FISH IN A BARREL
December 4, 2007 By Leave a Comment
There were three major cards on the tube this weekend that we previewed last week. I went 9-0 in picking the winners, yet I feel no particular accomplishment in this case. All were favored, and were top level prospects, future champions, champions, or former champions, who basically did what was expected. Their competition, on the whole, put up game battles to excite the fans but were not talented enough to threaten the expected outcome.
Mayweather and Hatton: What could have been and what is
December 2, 2007 By Leave a Comment
Saturday night, Manchester’s Ricky Hatton will defend his junior-welterweight championship against American Floyd Mayweather before 20,000 rabid Brits in M.E.N. Arena. Because of Hatton’s swarming style, and troubles Mayweather has had returning to 140 pounds, British bookmakers have this an even-money fight.