Boxing News

[H2O Man]

THURSDAY - at Los Angeles (Versus) - 6 rounds, featherweights: David Rodela (12-1-2, 6 KOs) vs. Juan Garcia (14-2, 5 KOs); 6 rounds, featherweights: Charles Huerta (10-0, 6 KOs) vs. Noe Lopez Jr. (4-0, 3 KOs); 6 rounds, super featherweights: Cornelius Lock (18-3-1, 11 KOs) vs. Vernie Torres (27-12, 15 KOs).

FRIDAY - at San Jose, California (ESPN2) - 10 rounds, super featheweights: Robert Guerrero (23-1-1, 16 KOs) vs. Efren Hinojosa (30-5-1, 17 KOs); 8 rounds, welterweights: Danny Garcia (12-0, 7 KOs) vs. Pavel Miranda (16-3, 8 KOs); 8 rounds, heavyweights: Ashanti Jordan (9-0, 7 KOs) vs. Brad Gregory (11-3, 9 KOs).

SATURDAY - at New York (HBO) - 12 rounds, welterweights: Miguel Cotto (33-1, 27 KOs) vs. Joshua Clottey (35-2, 20 KOs); 12 rounds, light flyweights: Ivan Calderon (32-0, 6 KOs) vs. Rodel Mayol (25-3, 19 KOs).

2009 may well be remembered as one of the most competitive years in the sport of boxing. There are important, and very interesting, fights being made at all levels of the sport. I think that this is due, in large part, from the pressure that promoters are feeling from the growing interest in MMA. Obviously, as long as each sport presents high quality matches, there will be an interested and satisfied fan base for both.

Before we look at this week’s fights, let’s take a moment to discuss some of the other boxing news. This weekend, the annual induction ceremonies will be held at the Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, NY. The weekend provides fans with a unique opportunity to mingle with many of the boxing community’s greatest fighters – both active and retired. This year, the most significant inductee will be former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. I will be reporting on events there in a column next week.

In other news, while the highly anticipated Klitschko vs Haye fight is off, Wladimir will be facing Ruslan Chagaev (25-0, 17 KOs) on June 20 for The Ring’s heavyweight title. It will be the first time that there has been an actual undisputed heavyweight champion, since Lennox Lewis retired. More, there are rumors that Haye may soon be scheduled to fight Vitali Klitschko, in what would undoubtedly be a more dangerous fight for the former cruiserweight.

Also in heavyweight news, George Foreman III made his pro debut on Saturday night. It seems the son of the great former two-time champion had great difficulty in finding an amateur opponent willing to fight him. While the sons of former champions have not usually lived up to their father’s legends, there is reason to believe that young Foreman may become a serious force in a division that needs excitement.

Finally, there are rumors that Sugar Shane Mosley is going to sign to fight Paul Williams. Though Mosley had hoped to secure a fight for more money against one of the more popular superstars in the sport, Mayweather, Pacquiao, and Cotto have other business to attend to. For boxing fans, however, a Mosley vs Williams match is by definition a "Super Fight." Both are among the highest level of the sport’s elite talents.

Now, let’s look at the televised fights. This week, boxing fans will be treated to some competitive fights, that will provide an interesting look at three levels of talent. On Thursday, Versus features a good card, as part of a series that will showcase young contenders who are looking to break into the top layers of their divisions. Promoter Oscar de la Hoya recognizes that the sport needs to introduce the general sports fans to how boxing moves its young lions forward. I believe that this is one of the most important ideas – similar to Showtime’s "ShoBox" – and with Oscar promoting the fights, it increases the chances that Versus will be successful in gaining sports fans’ attention.

The ESPN Friday Night Fights continue to provide boxing fans with a high level of talent, usually in competitive matches, this year. Again, this is due to Teddy Atlas’s advocating for both the fighters and fans. However, the main event on Friday does not appear to meet that standard. Robert Guerreo, who had a disappointing fight in March, is scheduled to knock out a 37-year old journeyman. The opponent, who was a serious contender a decade ago, has only one win in the last four years, and that came by way of a disqualification. The undercard of the FNF looks to be much more interesting.

The most important card will be on HBO on Saturday night. In the co-feature, one of the very best pure boxers, Ivan Calderon, defends his title against hard punching Rodel Mayol. While Mayol’s three loses have come in his last six bouts – and his three victories were against opponents with a combined 18-15-4 record – Calderon is probably going to have to move up a weight class in order to fight someone who has any chance of matching his skill level.

The highly anticipated main event features two of the toughest warriors in the sport, Miguel Cotto versus Joshua Clottey. This is the type of fight that deserves to be held in NYC’s Madison Square Garden. Cotto is on the comeback trail, after his now questionable lose to Margarito. Since that lose in July of 2008, he looked impressive in his 5-round TKO victory over Michael Jennings. However, Clottey is a far tougher test.

Clottey has won five straight fights, since losing to Margarito in December of 2006. This includes impressive wins over Diego Corrales and, most recently, Zab Judah. In between those wins, Clottey also gave undefeated prospect Shamone Alvarez his first loss, in a 12-round decision.

Clottey was giving Margarito a tough time, until he broke one hand and seriously injured the other. Although many people think Cotto is simply too talented for Clottey, as long as Joshua’s hands hold up well, it is going to be an extremely tough fight. In fact, for fans who enjoy toe-to-toe action, this has the makings for a Fight of the Year.

Both men are solid punchers, with a high level of boxing skills. Both are also known to bend the rules from time to time; let’s hope that something like an "accidental" head butt does not cause a cut that influences the outcome. The two factors that I think could be the most important in what may become a war of attrition is: who can avoid taking the most clean punches early in the fight – especially body punches; and who is physically stronger, and can tire the other man out as the fight enters the final four rounds. As good as he is, Cotto has tired late in a couple of fights. To win this fight, he will need to be at his best. And, of course, Cotto at his best is very good for the sport of boxing!

Enjoy the fights.

[H2O Man]

1. Punch.

("Kick" didn't seem right.)

Okay, DU boxing fans: What former top middleweight is now inerested in having my son visit him in an east-coast boxing gym? This is intended for those who I have not discussed this with already, off this forum.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

2. Regarding the former top middleweight

I have no idea. Retired or still active? Anyway, it sounds like a great opportunity for your son and a very nice gesture.

I agree that the Cotto vs. Clottey fight could be the fight-of-the-year. I'm picking Cotto but I'm not real sure about it (and I haven't had much luck with picks lately).

You're right that Cotto does tire in his fights but Clottey has also seemed to tire on occasion late in fights. I think Cotto has a better jab and can move and box. I expect him to be on the move and staying away from an inside fight with Clottey. But I don't know how long he'll be able to keep that up. I also think Cotto has a somewhat bigger punch than Clottey. But Cotto needs to get extension on his punches and he likes to be coming forward with that great left hook to the body and shift his weight into it. Cotto's punching power is not that great when he's moving backward as in the last two rounds of the Mosley fight or in the later rounds of the fight with Margarito. I also think that Cotto doesn't fight well at all on the inside where he can't get into his comfort zone and get extension on his punches. Cotto does not grab and smother his opponent very well on the inside (he didn't do it much against Margarito to buy time). Cotto also has the bad habit of ducking overhand shots instead of using side-to-side head movement. That frequent ducking causes him to lean forward on the inside, right into uppercuts. And one of Clottey's best punches is the uppercut. To me, Cotto is at his best when he's cutting off the ring on a quick mobile fighter like Quintana (he's a master at that) or Judah and pounding at them within a certain zone of power.

Clottey can be a slow starter in his fights and I think that might be a liability here. He fights in that shell where he's exceedingly hard to hit cleanly. It allows him to stand right in front of his opponent and trade when he decides to come out of that shell. He can throw fast combinations and I think the hand speed in this fight will be about equal. Against Zab Judah, I thought Clottey looked pretty fast, and Judah is not slow himself. The problem with Clottey is the low punch output. He tends to stay on defense and start punching when his opponent stops. He's had low punch totals in many of his rounds of boxing and the low work rate may cost him in this fight. I see Cotto taking advantage of that and outworking Clottey by moving and boxing in the first half of the fight. The reason I pick Cotto is that I think he will win the first half of the fight by moving and building up rounds due to a greater activity level and then try to hang on to the end if he can. Clottey can apply pressure, which he proved in the fight with Corrales in the later rounds and also in the later rounds agaisnt Judah, but he doesn't do it on the same order of magnitude or frequency as the slower-footed-and-handed Margarito did to Cotto.

I drop in on other boxing message boards and there's a fairly reliable poster who says he has attended Clottey's secluded work outs (he's a former trainer himself). He says that Clottey has brought in a couple of known, expert trainers under the radar in addition to Kwame Asante, the man who molded Clottey's career. He says that Clottey has a big surprise for Cotto in that he is using his jab much better and cutting off the ring better than in previous fights. Supposedly, Clottey is going to focus on the left side of Cotto's body with that good left hook of his (Clottey's best punch, in my opinion) and that he will be more aggressive and with a higher work rate.

I don't know how this will play out. Again, I pick Cotto but I'm not really confident with that (and as mentioned, my recent picks in other fights have been pretty bad). Clottey is tough and Cotto is coming off a bad loss that might have affected his self-confidence. And Cotto has had a mouth cut that has reopened and bled in the Judah, Mosley, and Margarito fights.

[H2O Man]

3. I think that one reason

Clottey has tired out is because he drops weight to weigh-in, then puts on a lot of pounds in the next 24 hours. When he fought Corrales, for example, he entered the ring weighing 170 pounds. I do not think it is healthy to do this -- it's a good example of why fighters other than heavyweights should weigh-in the day of a fight. But thre are advantages in being a 170-lb "welterweight."

Clottey is prone to tiring out after 6 rounds. But he has, at times, gotten the "second wind" that allows him to finish stronger than opponents. Cotto will need to go to the body a lot early, to kind of knock that second wind out of him.

However, in going to the body, Cotto risks taking body shots in return. Both of these guys are known for using ther heads as an offensive weapon while engaging in the art of "in-fighting." I suspect that, based on their pasts, Clottey is more likely to be penalized by the ref, and Cotto is more likely to suffer a cut.

One of the important things about cuts -- and I know that I'm not saying anything that you don't already know, but others may not -- is that they don't really hurt until after the fight. A cut above the eye is dangerous, in that it blind you during the fight with blood in your eye, and it poses a risk (in some cases) for long-term injury. But, if you are in-fighting, a cut eye doesn't matter in the sense of vision, because you use instinct, and feel your way .... but it poses a big risk, in the sense of getting butted, accidently or purposefully, and doing the long-term damage.

Sometimes, the commentators who have never boxed will say that a bloody nose or cut mouth isn't as bad as a cut near the eye. But in that ring, you breath through your nose. Unless the damage is low, nearer to your lip (and thus flows down your face), you begin to swollow some blood. And, as you note, Cotto gets cut inside the mouth. So you either open your mouth to get the blood out -- a huge risk, especially in in-fighting -- or you swollow a lot of blood.

Swollowing blood doesn't "hurt," but it does make you feel like you are going to puke. And, like a good body shot, it makes you a bit light-headed at first, then it begins to play tricks on your legs. No one who swollows blood in the ring gets their second wind. You just don't.

Cotto is on a mission. I admire that he wanted to fight Clottey in the MSG this year. It will be interesting to see if he can bring his body punches around Clottey's elbows .... Corrales and Judah found out that you tend to catch hard uppercuts in return. But you have to go a little wide. Also, Cotto has very good side-to-side movement while in-fighting .... a step to the left and a combination, and then the same the other way. Clottey sometimes over-extends his punches, and against Cotto, you pay a price for every mistake.

Should be a heck of a fight.

[Kingofalldems]

4. Off topioc but they are doing a movie about a fighter

I'm sure you've heard of. His last name is Ward. Mark Wahlberg will portray him.

[H2O Man]

5. Micky Ward

was in The Ring magazine's Fight of the Year for three consecutive years. Tough guy. If you get a chance, read his biography. It's one of the very best books about boxing.

[Kingofalldems]

9. OK, I remember him

Actually saw a few of his fights including at least one of the toe to toe 12 or 15 rounders.

[H2O Man]

6. Dundee

at the Hall of Fame today .....

[trumad]

18. I went to High School with Angelo's daughter===Terry

North Miami High---class of 75

[Upton]

7. Tell me something

what was Ali doing at the game last night with a Red Wings jersey on?

[H2O Man]

8. The Champ!

What game is it?

[Upton]

10. Last night's hockey game in Detroit

I checked it out further though and it appears he does own a house in Michigan, which would explain it.

[H2O Man]

12. He has the farm

there.

[tishaLA]

11. This Cotto-Clottey fight has just about everything in it

It's crazy but I think it's going to end soon

[H2O Man]

13. Heck of a fight.

Three of us watched it here. My son and friend both predicted a Clottey victory (and wanmted him to win). I picked Cotto, by decision, and wanted him to win. And, he got the split decision.

Manny S scored it for Clottey. Jim and Max scored it for Cotto, but rambled on about his getting credit for being a nice guy.

The referee, Arthur M (Jr.) did a poor job. He pressured Clottey to take a shorter rest than he was entitled to, after being thrown down. He then told Cotto that he knew it was an accident.

In the last round, Cotto landed a low blow. It was hard, and intentional. The ref told him to "keep them up," for the second time in the fight. Also, Cotto purposely delivered a "rabbit punch," without any consequence.

HBO's new model to show how many punches each person landed where showed the most obvious example of its inaccuracy, by showing Cotto landed one low blow. Again, he was spoken to twice for low blows, which makes the HBO system 50% "accurate," at best.

I wanted Cotto, but I do not think he won the fight. He is a tough, game, and very talented fighter. There's no shame in losing a decision. The scores favoring Cotto were shameful -- even Max noted the more extreme one was off base.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

14. I agree

I predicted that Cotto would win a narrow decision, but I don't think he won the fight. I agree with the judge who had it 114-113 for Clottey. I thought Clottey showed the better skills tonight, the faster hands, the sharper and cleaner punches, and the better defense. He didn't cut the ring off very well towards the end, but every fighter has his flaws. Cotto didn't get his punches off well and didn't fight that well on the inside, although a few times he timed Clottey coming out of his shell defense and hit him. Cotto really went after Clottey on the ropes in a couple of the middle rounds, but he didn't do very much damage and Clottey was able to get in a few uppercuts. I think Cotto might have allowed himself to get rope-a-doped just a little bit and used up a lot of energy. He didn't look the same to me after that and his punches didn't have the same zip. Cotto is getting very heavily criticized tonight on the many boxing message boards for "running" for the last part of the fight and not putting up much offense, except for an occasional one-punch-at-a-time. The look on Cotto's face when Clottey applied pressure seemed bad to me, especially towards the middle of the fight. I'm wondering if there is still some residual effects from the Margarito beatdown. I like Cotto; he's a humble man and has a lot of heart. But this was not a great performance and he's fortunate to have escaped with a win. Teddy Atlas, by the way, scored the fight a draw. Apparently, he scored the first round 10-9 for Cotto. I guess he weighed the fact that Clottey landed more jabs and otherwise won the round, while the knockdown wasn't that big and was more of a "flash" knockdown. Cotto to me gets a lot of credit for fighting with that bad eye (Cotto has bad luck in his big fights with cuts). I also give Clottey credit for working through that pain in his knee after Cotto body-slammed him to the canvas. Clottey was limping in the next round and his legs didn't seem right until late in the fight. And the way that Cotto held Clottey's arm from behind and then proceeded to punch him in the back of the head was a bit shocking.

[trumad]

17. Just saw the fight on replay..

Clottey got ripped big time...

[TroubleMan]

15. I thought Clottey won by a point.

It was very close though. It could have gone either way. It was a fun fight to watch.

[H2O Man]

16. Hall of Fame

We had one heck of a weekend at the Hall of Fame. I have some outrageous photos, etc, that I'll share with you guys -- probably tomorrow. I have to rest my weary bones now. But I will show you some really good photos soon.