It’s the Good Life: Intriguing Bouts Ahead (August – November)

None but an incurable optimist would dare proclaim otherwise: it’s been a tough summer for us boxing fans. All-too-frequent monetary disputes and freak injuries appeared to double their incidence, ultimately leaving the sweet science barren for the warmer months.

But as of now, I am free to hoist my writing talents, pull them over my shoulder and (from the journalistic vantage point offered by my publication) announce the wider world: “Worry not, for your suffering is at an end! (although terms and conditions do apply)”

The reader, being entitled to ask questions without censor, is bound to glance askance and ask: “But George, you prodigal son, you, what prompts you to prophesize?”

Let me lay it all out for you:

August, arguably the weakest of these four months, contains a few intriguing cards that, whilst not of mainstream appeal, will go a long way to deciding who gets the future title shots and who is ripe for retirement.

It all began interestingly enough, what with Bradley-Campbell and the Alexander-Witter undercard. Although mildly disappointing, it sets future bouts up rather nicely. Here’s what we have to look forward to:

August 15 hails the beginning of the end (or maybe the end of the end) for the great Roy Jones Jr, who is slated to face Jeff “Left Hook” Lacy. Both men were seriously mauled by Joe Calzaghe at some point, and both have encountered hard times; Jones knows that, despite being the “Fighter of the 90’s” and a perennial pound-for-pounder, he has little choice but to retire if he loses again. Being bettered by Lacy would offer incontrovertible proof of his diminishing skills and likely prompt an exit from the sport. “Left Hook”, on the other hand, needs to get past Jones in order to earn another title shot in any division. A defeat would send him spiraling into the reputation of being a gatekeeper at best, and an anonymous former champ at worst. Should be a decently entertaining scrap.

A week thereafter, on August 22, we have a similar scenario: two former champions, attempting to rebuild their reputations and jockey for title challenger positions. This time, I’m talking about Juan Diaz and Paulie Malignaggi. Diaz, the former linear lightweight champion, is just getting back into the mix after suffering two defeats in his last three outings (to Nate Campbell and the great JuanMa Marquez). Malignaggi, still reeling from the beating Hatton gave him less than a year ago, is looking for a major coup in upsetting Diaz and thus paving the way to more lucrative fights. The victor will most likely win a belt over the next twelve months. The loser will have a couple of years’ worth of work simply to ascend the ranks again. Once more, we should have a good, technical fight on our hands.

That same week, on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights season finale, we will be treated to an interesting undercard that is still being finalized, but will most likely contain Juan Urango against Randall Bailey for the IBF 140 lb strap and Clinton Woods versus Tavoris Cloud for the IBF light heavyweight belt. Don’t miss it on the 28^th!

This takes us into the month of September, where we are greeted by several upcoming matches that will go a long way to resolving some in the ever-expanding list of questions pertaining to a variety of celebrated pugilists.

First up (on the 12^th), we have stay-busy bouts for Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward, both of whom will compete in the Super Six World Boxing Classic, facing each other on November 21. It’s fairly safe to say that neither will encounter any serious resistance from Gusmyl Perdomo and Shelby Pudwill (the Dane facing the former, and Ward the latter). In fact, Pudwill has only defeated two fighters with a winning record in 26 bouts, while Perdomo may some day exhibit an actual pulse for Kessler to try and work against.

September 12 is D-Day for another three fairly reputable men (in underlined font):

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr faces Jason LeHoullier in the hope of proving his talent to a wider audience, and emerging from his father’s shadow. Although not an impending barnburner, the bout provides intrigue galore into Chavez Jr and the extent of his ability.

Ivan Calderon is also at a crossroads. After being held to a technical draw by Rodel Mayol as the result of a cut from an unintentional headbutt, Calderon plummeted in the mythical pound-for-pound standings, which had almost-unanimously showed him to be in the top ten. Now, he gets his rematch, and is fired up to silence his critics, who claim that, at age 34, Caledron no longer has the impeccable defensive game that has defined him for his entire career. Truth be told, Calderon wasn’t looking all that great even before his cut, so it will be interesting to see how he readjusts.

Cristian Mijares is sort of pissed off; no doubt about it. First, he gets upset by Vic Darchinyan, and loses his top ten pound-for-pound status. Then, he loses his next fight against … wait for it … Nehomar Cermeno. Never heard of him? Neither had I. In any case, Mijares got his rematch and is hoping to win his opponent’s WBA bantam title. A loss here will spell “early retirement” for the 27-year-old, who has looked nothing like his former self this past year. Tune in on September 12 to see if he gets his groove back.

Following this D-Day spiel, we get a weeklong break, before the eagerly anticipated HBO PPV card of September 19, which features Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr – a step-up in weight for the Mexican bomber and a challenging welcome back bout for the recently un-retired Mayweather. The articles on this will come flowing thick and fast as the fight draws closer, so there’s no point in detailing all of the intricacies of the situation in this article.

On the undercard, we have the rematch of Chris John and Rocky Juarez, who fought to a controversial draw in Houston (Juarez’s hometown) for John’s WBA featherweight title earlier this year; John relishes the prospect of facing Juarez in front of an impartial audience, whilst Juarez is on the precipice of the mainstream recognition that has eluded him for so long.

To fortify the undercard, HBO is also giving the ultra-talented Zab Judah a spot, either against Matthew Hatton (Ricky’s younger brother) or another welterweight contender. Judah has always been interesting, if a bit frustrating, to watch, but I suspect he has plenty of fights left in the tank, if he can keep his head on straight (which, more often than not, he can’t).

Following the pay-per-view extravaganza, boxing enthusiasts will tune in to a bizarre, if slightly comical, match-up in the heavyweight division. Cristobal Arreola will face Vitali Klitschko on September 26. *pause for laughter*

Yes – hard punching Arreola, big belly and all, up against the Zeus-lookalike elder Klitschko. It has all of the makings of a mismatch; but the Mexican slugger has a puncher’s chance against the Ukrainian monster, which is more than can be said of any non-Klitschko on the face of the planet. Hey – that’s good enough for me!

Folks – this brings us to the month of October, which (in all honesty) is more of an opening act for the jam-packed November. Nonetheless, it still contains a fair share of interest-piquing fights.

First off, we are indebted to Top Rank for a PPV event on the tenth, which, although not finalized, contains exciting fighters such as Yuriorkis Gamboa, Oldlanier Solis, Juan Manuel Lopez and Vanes Martirosyan. Statistically speaking, the night should feature a couple of good KO’s and some slick boxing; from a geographic standpoint, chances are that if you’re an inhabitant of planet Earth, then Top Rank has someone in their stable who might interest you by virtue of some ethnic/nationalistic similarity. Hence, you might just find a new pugilist to follow this October 10!

A week removed from this Top Rank event, we are treated to Showtime’s first Super Six World Boxing Classic doubleheader, on October 17. This consists of two matchups: Arthur Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor and Carl Froch vs. Andre Dirrell, which will air in close succession on Showtime.

Following this worldwide trip, we shall take a three-week break, thus carrying us into November, where we are thrown right back into the mix with two evenly-matched bouts in the first weekend. First, the heavyweight title fight of Nikolay Valuev and David Haye (which, if nothing else, will provide the audience with gales of laughter as the six-foot Haye tries to pound the seven-foot Valuev into submission). Second, we have the light heavyweight rematch between “Bad” Chad Dawson and Glen Johnson, which will likely determine the next opponent of Bernard Hopkins, for THE RING’s belt.

A week thereafter, we arrive at the piece de resistance HBO PPV event of the Fall schedule – the November 14 bout between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto! Once again, the column inches on this one will pile up over the coming weeks and months, so elaboration beyond the names of the combatants is not required here. Look for an early preview of the fight sometime in late August.

Following the fight for pound-for-pound supremacy, the first round of the World Boxing Classic will draw to a close, also on Showtime, on November 21 in a contest between Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward.

And, as the month of November winds down, we are privy to one more exciting brawl, this time between Romanian Lucian Bute and Mexican badass Librado Andrade, who will stage a rematch of sorts, following a controversial first fight for Bute, who, whilst winning handily, was dropped with a few seconds remaining in the twelfth round, only to rise after a notoriously long count, which was punctuated by referee Marion Wright telling Andrade to go back to his neutral corner. With both men seeking to bury some demons, and Bute’s IBF super middleweight belt up for grabs, we should be in for a thriller!

So, this concludes our boxing schedule between August and November. Please be sure to revisit the blog for updates on each fight, and more boxing news!

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Bradley Retains Belt Amidst Controversy; Alexander Wins Maiden World Title!

A pair of controversial stoppages ruled the night at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage,
California, proving the dominion of youth and power over an eternally underrated boxing virtue - experience.

Tim Bradley was given a TKO over Nate Campbell following an erroneous call by referee David Mendoza pertaining to the clash of heads that occurred in Round 3. Bradley's forehead appeared to make contact with Campbell's left eyebrow; this was followed by a short flurry from "Desert Storm" and a subsequent pause by a distracted Campbell, who was complaining of a headbutt. Mendoza, however, let the fight proceed, and Bradley remained on the offensive for the rest of the round. Once in his corner, Campbell said he couldn't see and the bout was stopped.

Chaos reigned.

The hometown favorite began to celebrate his successful defense of the WBO title, while "Galaxy Warrior" was howling about the unfairness of it all to anybody who would listen. Bradley's TKO victory was announced and the protests intensified. A subsequent interview with ref Mendoza did nothing to alleviate the situation: the third man said that there was an unintentional headbutt, but that the cut was opened by a subsequent punch and therefore, he claimed, Bradley was the true victor. The problem with his explanation? Well, replays show that Campbell covered the affected area with his glove as soon as their heads came apart. And no punch even came close to grazing the left side of his head.

The 37-year-old was taken to hospital after admitting that he was seeing spots in his eye, but not before declaring that he wanted a rematch and a reversal of the TKO loss - to a No Decision. He deserves both of these.

Bradley, too, deserves more than this: he was ahead on the cards and his performance was excellent while it lasted. He deserves a clear-cut decision, or a proper KO over a seasoned vet like Campbell, and not a gifted victory.

"Desert Storm" found a way to nullify Campbell's infighting advantage, and was using his speed and conditioning to outhustle the former unified lightweight champ before controversy struck.

Did I mention controversy?

The undercard, too, was riddled with it. Junior Witter was being comprehensively beaten by a sharp-looking Devon Alexander. Then, after eight fairly one-sided rounds, he gets up, goes over to Alexander's corner, nearly gives his trainer a heart attack, and congratulates the 22-year-old on his first title.

After the fight, he admitted to having reinjured his hand, which had just recovered from a hairline fracture. The pain, which began in the fourth round, according to Witter, prevented him from executing his gameplan and left him vulnerable.

Now, despite having witnessed a mere eleven rounds, out of a scheduled twenty-four, we can safely assume that the best men won both of the fights.

Yes, Campbell deserves another shot at Bradley. But the end result, barring some major miracle, will be the same because the champ fought like an elite pugilist tonight, and Campbell showed nothing but his age inside the ring.

Yes, Witter may have been slowed down by an injury and a cut. But he needs a lot more than a healthy body in order to compete with Alexander's boxing acumen.

If there is any justice in the world, the California State Athletic Commission will overturn tonight's decision, and erase Campbell's loss from the record books. It will not matter, though, because Bradley is too young, too fast and simply too good to be opposed by an aged warrior like Campbell.

UPDATE:
Nate Campbell's team has already begun the appeal process and are intent on filing with the Cali State Athletic Commission soon.
Furthermore, information has emerged that the fight was actually stopped after the ringside physician decided that Campbell had blood behind his left eye - hence the cause for all the spots he was seeing. This is generally indicative of retinal damage, so let's all keep our fingers crossed in the hope that the injury is not permanent.

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Bradley vs. Campbell - Preview

After a well-deserved break, I am proud to announce the return of PureBoxingPress. On to the business of pre-fight analysis:

MATCH: Timothy Bradley (24-0-0, 11 KOs) vs. Nate Campbell (33-5-1, 25 KOs).

DATE: Saturday, August 1, 2009.

WEIGHT CLASS: Light welterweight, 140 lbs.

TITLES: Bradley's WBO belt.

LOCATION: Agua Caliente Casino, California.

TV INFO: Showtime ((live) 9PM ET / (delayed) 9PM PT)

UNDERCARD: Junior Witter vs. Devon Alexander (for vacant WBC light welterweight title).

Bradley's Advantages:

If Bradley is to hold on to his title, he will have to make full use of his speed, athleticism and conditioning. "Desert Storm" is a naturally gifted boxer, who has been blessed with exceptional hand speed and a body that is made for boxing by virtue of strong musculature and flexible joints, as well as a penchant for very thorough training that leaves no depths of the sweet science unplumbed.

His punches pack a reasonable amount of heat, even though he has never knocked out world-class opposition, and he is physically capable of roughing it up on the inside, or tying up if need be (a great weapon to use against an aggressive pugilist such as Campbell).

Bradley is also a varied, unpredictable fighter, who can combine power shots with good jab-work to win rounds - especially in the tiring latter-stages of a fight. He possesses a good chin and textbook fundamentals which will help him out in his impending scrap with an experienced man like Campbell.

Bradley's Disadvantages:

Although a solid world champion, Bradley has never faced as experienced an opponent as Campbell; he is thus liable to get caught with something huge if he treats his adversary with the aggressive, hands-down, forward-charging style he sometimes favors.

The Palm Springs, Cali native is also lacking in the footwork department, where Campbell excels and can hence negate the younger champion's superior speed and conditioning.

Campbell's Advantages:

"The Galaxy Warrior" is a powerful and veeeery-complete boxer, who has no weaknesses that are easily exploited, and a lot of tools for fighting inside and out in a smooth, aggressive style. He holds notable wins over Kid Diamond and (in his last two fights) then-undefeated Juan Diaz and highly-capable Ali Funeka. Campbell has a solid defense that makes flush shots improbable, as well as a good set of whiskers for shaking them off when they do find their way.

The Floridan also has one of the best cornermen that money can buy - defensive wizard John David Jackson, who has a useful knack for understanding other fighters' styles and helping his man adjust inside the ring.

Furthermore, Campbell boasts the reputation of an accomplished body-puncher and a versatile aggressor - meaning that he is creative with his combinations, and somehow always winds up doing damage to head and midsection alike. This is going to be crucial against a man like Bradley, whose considerable speed may be reduced as the damage to his liver and spleen stacks up.

Campbell's Disadvantages:

Someone has to do it, so it may as well be me: the man's 37 years old! His opponent is 25. 'Nuff said.

Campbell has looked average in losses to Robbie Peden (KO'd, twice) and Joel Casamayor, and should have done more against Francisco Lorenzo and Isaac Hlatshwayo, where he dropped close, split-decisions. True, he is undefeated in four years and five fights, but the end is looming for Campbell, and many are thinking that Bradley is the enforcing agent from this standpoint.

Outcome Prediction:

The press is picking Bradley for his youth and speed. The underdog is the more experienced and ever-so-slightly-more-skillful Campbell. There are some strange factors at play: Bradley is facing a steep challenge in the wily, old Galaxy Warrior - perhaps even more daunting than Junior Witter. Yet, Campbell has oscillated between greatness and mediocrity with alarming frequency (not to mention his recent difficulties in making weight, which prompted his move up to light welter). Everyone can agree on one thing: it's a difficult one to call, folks.

But I think that the time is ripe for me to go against the established boxing press, and pick Nate Campbell for the upset. Here's why:
Galaxy Warrior is motivated and wants to raid the 140-pound division for titles. I think he has it in him to make one last, great stand against the onslaught of young fighters. In a Mosley or Hopkins-esque twist, experience will trump youth and send the up-and-comers back to the drawing table one more time before the new era dawns. So here's my slight variation on an old Mayweather tune:

I'm tellin' you just so you know,
The old-man Campbell, by K.O.!

Undercard Analysis:

If ever you decide to take an extra hour or so out of your schedule in order to watch an undercard - this one's a great option! The Alexander-Witter fight will provide good value: it's basically two highly entertaining and somewhat-unpredictable pugilists going at each other for a chance at a world title. Congrats to everyone involved in making this fight!

Devon Alexander (18-0-0, 11 KOs)

Alexander is a young (only 22!) and exciting fighter, a decorated amateur and a solid technician who has power in both hands and a style that was designed to give opponents fits. But in challenging for a vacant world title, and facing a man like Witter, he may have been pushed ahead a little too soon; he has no significant victories (although he did outpoint faded former titlist DeMarcus Corley) and will have to dig very deep in order to stop his British counterpart.

Junior Witter (37-2-2, 22 KOs)

News flash: Witter has only ever lost to Zab Judah and Tim Bradley, both of whom are elite-fighters. He has beaten Andreas Kotelnik (recently dethroned WBA champ) and a whole host of contenders throughout his twelve-year career - which pretty much makes him a consistent, high-level boxer.

This is almost certainly his last chance at a world strap and good exposure in the US (a treat to which he was never privy, for some odd reason). As such, you can expect him to bring his notoriously-complicated game on Saturday night. Trust me - he won't disappoint.

Undercard Outcome Prediction:

Once again, experience will overcome youth - for now. Witter by mid-round KO.

Soooo - this is it for another preview! Do keep an eye out for the post-fight analysis and don't forget to say a prayer for the late Vernon Forrest (I'll be doing a piece to coincide with his funeral on Monday).

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Jermain "Bad Intentions" Taylor - Impending Resurgence?

Jermain Taylor’s recent record (1-3) inspires a pugilistic desperation generally associated with diminishing skills and impending retirement. So why is he involved in Showtime’s Super Six World Boxing Classic, where he will be fighting the likes of Arthur Abraham, Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward?

Well, boxing fans, difficult thought it may be to believe in mid-2009, there was a time, not too long ago, when “Bad Intentions” was undisputed middleweight champion of the world. There was a certain eighteen-month span during which the proud Little Rock, AR native beat Bernard Hopkins (who at the time was undefeated in twelve years) twice and boxed defensive-wizard Winky Wright to a standstill to retain his four titles.

In late 2006, Taylor was on top of the world. The former amateur standout, who had won a Bronze at the Sydney games in 2000, was an undefeated world champion whose major concern in life revolved around paying sanctioning fees to the many alphabet organizations whose belts he held.

Enter Kelly Pavlik, underdog extraordinaire (at the time).

Taylor boxed his ears off for seven rounds, knocking him down in the second. Then came a masterful feint, a sharp right cross and a flurry of punches from the Ohio native that sent the champ to the canvas and gave ref Steve Smoger a mandate to (correctly) stop the fight. And so Bad Intentions was champ no more and Kelly Pavlik became an instant superstar.

A rematch clause was, of course, exercised, but to no avail. Pavlik beat Taylor by unanimous decision, further confirming the doctrine that rematches will provide the same result as the first fight, only with a more substantial point-gap.

Since then, Taylor has moved up to 168 lbs in the hope of winning more titles. He beat Jeff Lacy to become mandatory challenger to the WBC belt. He was beating WBC-champ Carl Froch by a couple of points on two of the scorecards, until the Brit unexpectedly knocked a spent Taylor out in the twelfth round, apparently ending his bid to become a titlist once again.

But then Showtime (read: deus ex machina) called, offering him a place in this tournament they were putting together. It cannot have been hard for Bad Intentions to ponder this one: three matches, two titles on the line. A contract was (of course) signed, and now Taylor is up against a daunting challenge, in the form of unbeaten former-middleweight titlist Arthur Abraham.

It is tempting to write him off. But let’s think on this for a second or three…

Is it that hard to envisage Taylor schooling Abraham? After all, who has King Arthur fought that makes him look so good? Edison Miranda, Khoren Gevor and Raul Marquez? No disrespect intended to the aforementioned, but Hopkins and Wright possess boxing skills and defensive moves that these three (along with Abraham, incidentally) can only fantasize about.

The real question is this: how much does Taylor have left in the tank? At 31 years of age, after ten grueling fights against eight world champions, one does earn the right to feel drained.

Make no mistake about it: a prime Jermain Taylor would give Abraham and Kessler apoplectic fits with his skill. A prime Jermain Taylor would beat Andre Dirrell and Carl Froch on the same day. And spend the evening with his wife. A prime Jermain Taylor would be a heavy favorite to win Super Six World Boxing Classic. But this isn’t about Taylor, or his prime. It’s about the next year and a half.

May Bad Intentions find his form once more during his last chance to add to his legacy.

Pacquiao Agrees to Cotto Fight - Bob Arum Wins in Advance!

Bob Arum of Top Rank Promotions has pulled off the coup of the decade after wrapping up the paperwork for a fight between two of his most prized boxers – pound for pound sensation Manny Pacquiao and highly-rated welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto.

The stablemates (who are both promoted by Arum) have agreed to face each other on November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas at a catchweight of 145 pounds. In so doing, Top Rank has put together a fight whose gate receipts will border the ten million dollar mark, and which will hope to sell well north of half a million pay-per-views. Since the bout is only for one title and involves only one promotions company, Arum has just scored a major victory in securing what is almost certain to be the biggest PPV event of the fall.

The reason I will focus on economics in this particular piece (rest assured there will be numerous follow-ups of the boxing variety) is the scenario I will put forth for your reading pleasure:

Let’s say that gate receipts total 9 million dollars (as most sell-out fights at the MGM Grand do). And that, as per Bob Arum’s estimate, PPV numbers match the Hatton-Pacman fight at circa 900’000. The calculation is thus:

(54.99 * 900’000) + 9’000’000 = $ 58’491’000

For those of us who aren’t all that great with numbers, that borders sixty million dollars, of which Arum, being the sole promoter here, keeps somewhere between a quarter to a third. Let’s call it a decent 30%. That means roughly seventeen million, all for Top Rank Promotions!

Arum has yet to announce the exact purse split, but I’m willing to bet that it’s in the ballpark of 60:40 in favor of Pacman. That means that Pacquiao, whose career earnings are close to $50 million, will make close to 25 million, regardless of the result.

Notably, the fight will be for the WBO welterweight title, which means that 3% of the purse goes to the World Boxing Organization as a sanctioning fee. This, however, still leaves Cotto with about 15 million dollars – by far the biggest payday of his career!

A number of boxing enthusiasts and journalists will blast Pacman for turning his back on “Sugar” Shane Mosley and his offer to split the purse 60:40 and fight at 140 lbs. Not I – if only for the reason that both Pacman and Arum would have been worse off, from an economic standpoint, as well as a boxing one.

First and foremost, Mosley is not as great a draw as Cotto. The latter has a huge following in New York and is idolized by Puerto Ricans all over the world. “Sugar” is popular in L.A. but was never a major PPV attraction. Pacquiao – Mosley would not have sold more than three quarters of a million pay-per-views, and as such would only have yielded about fifty million dollars, of which Bob Arum would have kept 30% of 60% (the rest would have gone to Mosley and Golden Boy Promotions, who handles the fighter’s business). By the same calculation as above, Arum would have made ten million dollars – forty percent less than by throwing Cotto into the mix.

Additionally, Pacman’s belt would have been at risk, as would his pound-for-pound status against a highly dangerous and seemingly-ageless Mosley (who, admittedly, lost to Cotto but beat Margarito after the Tijuana Tornado had pummeled the Puerto-Rican star into submission).

Of all permutations, Arum could not have come out looking any better. Whether the same can be said for both of his fighters, we will not know until after November 14.

Amir Khan - a mere con no longer!

Amir Khan overcame the odds that threatened to derail his career ten months ago and made good on his promise to win a world title by outpointing Andreas Kotelnik over 12 rounds by scores of 118-111 (twice) and 120-108.

Khan emerged victorious by making good use of his fantastic hand speed, consistently firing off three-and-four-punch combinations through the guard of Kotelnik. The Brit also exhibited good footwork and lateral movement, frustrating the more experienced fighter and finding good angles from which to throw his own barrages.

Kotelnik attempted to stage a comeback in the later rounds, when Khan apparently began to run out of steam, but by then it was too little too late, as the Bolton-based fighter stuck to the high guard that has served him so well in the past three bouts, and shook off whatever shots managed to land through it.

The scorecards correctly indicate the British bomber's dominance; but credit also goes to Freddie Roach, who has masterminded the resurgence of Amir Khan by virtue of a totally revamped defence and a style that does not employ the overt aggressiveness that defined the 22-year-old early in his career.

The newly crowned WBA light welterweight champion, Khan, said that he will decide on his course of action over the coming weeks - although speculation is already rife that he is set to face Ricky Hatton in an all-British showdown, or else fight the un-retired Erik Morales. Certain bloggers (myself included) have been screaming for a Zab Judah match, provided that the latter gets by Matthew Hatton (Ricky's younger brother) this September.

On the undercard, Olympic middleweight gold-medallist James "Chunky" DeGale pummeled Ciaran Healey to a first-round stoppage en route to a third consecutive win to start his career, whilst former Olympian Billy Joe Saunders stopped Matt Scriven in two and Frankie Gavin beat Graham Fearn, also in tow rounds. All three youngsters are 3-0 and are tipped to become top contenders in their respective divisions.

Also on the undercard, Anthony Small pulled off an upset to beat Matthew Hall by eighth round KO for the vacant Commonwealth light middleweight title in an entertaining scrap. Anthony Small turned in the performance of his career, and will now be looking for fights on the international stage.

Whilst Small was celebrating, former cruiserweight world champion Enzo Maccarinelli was left to concede that his career may have come to an end, after getting comprehensively beaten for three rounds by unknown Denis Lebedev, before the ref mercifully called off the fight. Macca has now been KO'd in three of his last four fights, and the former WBO titleholder admits that he "doesn't have it anymore."

Khan wins Kotelnik's WBA belt!

So - Amir Khan won a clear-cut unanimous decision - 120-108 and 118-112 (twice) and thus receives Kotelnik's WBA belt. It was a fairly easy night for the lad from Bolton, who used outstanding lateral movement, along with fluid combinations and a superior workrate to consistently frustrate the more experienced Ukrainian fighter.

Full analysis of the fight, as well as the undercard, coming soon!

Kotelnik vs. Khan - Preview

MATCH: Andreas Kotelnik (31-2-1, 13 KOs) vs. Amir Khan (20-1-0, 15 KOs).

DATE: Saturday, July 18 2009.

WEIGHT CLASS: Light welterweight, 140 lbs.

TITLES: Kotelnik's WBA belt.

LOCATION: M.E.N. Arena, Manchester, UK

TV INFO: Not televised in the USA, SkySports in the UK.

UNDERCARD:

Enzo Maccarinelli vs. Denis Lebedev
James DeGale vs. Ciaran Healey

Kotelnik's Advantages:

Kotelnik simply outdoes Khan in every department pertaining to experience and ring awareness. The Ukrainian-native has boxed 244 rounds in his career, compared to Khan's 82. Kotelnik holds notable wins over Marcos Maidana (an impressive feat, looking back on the Argentinian's defeat of highly-touted Victor Ortiz), talented William Gonzalez and then-undefeated Gavin Rees. He has a good set of whiskers, having never been KO'd, or even knocked down, in his career.

Whilst not heavy-handed, Kotelnik is accustomed to fighting 12 rounds, having done so nine times in his career, and has consistent force from beginning to end - increasing the probability that Khan will get caught by something at some point.

Arguably the greatest advantage that the Hamburg-based fighter will invoke on Saturday was best describbed by Junior Witter - who holds a unanimous decision win over Kotelnik - in an interview with ringtv.com last week: "Kotelnik is a very decepive fighter. He's easy to underestimate because there's nothing flashy about what he does, but ... he's solid all the way through!"

The type of grit that the Ukrainian displays is a potent weapon against any young, talented but inexperienced boxer - and, having been angered by his "underdog" status and the Brit's forward-looking nature, Kotelnik has promised to punish Khan severely come Saturday night. In truth, it wouldn't be a major upset if he did!

Kotelnik's Disadvantages:

A more cynical, glass-half-empty approach to Kotelnik's style and career is that he is neither strong, nor fast, nor particularly difficult to deal with. As orthodox a boxer as ever there was, the Ukrainian can be labeled as predictable and repetitive. He fails to pull the proverbial bunny out of the hat, which is almost always required when fighting champions.

Although well-rounded as a fighter, Kotelnik does not excel in any one area of the sport and can hence hold no significant advantage over Khan in any single area. Oh - and somebody's gotta mention it - the champ postponed the fight for three weeks due to suffering from toothache. As anyone who has ever had trouble in that area knows, a decent punch will hurt waaaaaay more if there's still any lingering effects. Let's hope - for Kotelnik's sake - that he has recovered fully.

Khan's Advantages:

Nobody can doubt that Khan is extremely talented. I think that he is considerably more advanced than either Floyd Mayweather Jr or Zab Judah were at his age - and that's saying something! The speed and accuracy of Khan's punches is awe-inspiring, and it has been on display every single time he has stepped in the ring - making it a virtual certainty that we will see it again on Saturday!

Also a powerful puncher, the Brit can inflict heavy damage on his opponents and make them even more vulnerable to his quick hands. Khan will have an advantage in both height and reach - three inches - and be the more nimble on his feet. Additionally, Khan's straight-up style is excellent from a defensive standpoint - I see Kotelnik having a hard time catching Khan with anything.

Besides the boxing factors, the Olympic silver-medalist will also have a vocal crowd cheering him forth and the best trainer that money can buy - Freddie Roach, who transformed Khan from a gifted-but-vulnerable contender into a solid fighter who is now widely tipped to win his first world title at the M.E.N. tomorrow night.

Khan's Disadvantages:

Breidis Prescott, anyone? The Columbian contender knocked Khan out in 54-seconds a mere ten months ago. True, Prescott could wobble a horse just by feigning a right, but accusations of a glass jaw have been haunting the Brit for a while. And they won't go away either - despite the fact that he took a couple of healthy shots from a bloodied Marco Antonio Barrera in his last outing; despite the fact that he reinvented his defense; despite the fact that he now tucks his chin in. Truth is, if Khan is nailed properly during the twelve-rounder we are likely to experience, he will lose.

Being inexperienced (remember those 82 pro rounds?) means that the Bolton-native will have a hard time adjusting, should he run into any difficulty. Roach will help, no doubt, but a question mark remains over Khan's versatility and courage in the face of adversity.

Outcome Prediction:

Call me crazy, or intuitive, or prophetic (not to be confused with pathetic). I think this one will go the distance, and I think it may be fairly close. Khan's speed and power will diminish slightly as the fight goes on, whilst Kotelnik will be fairly consistent, as has always been the case. The styles indicate that it will be a reasonably cautious fight, but I'm predicting that, between his God-given talent and top-notch corner, Khan will squeeze out a close decision, somewhere around 115-113.

Undercard Analysis:

As is almost always the case with Brits, they put on interesting undercards - often featuring popular up-and-comers, or already-accomplished fighters. This one, fortunately, includes both: the former in the form of James DeGale, Olympic gold-medalist, who is fighting professionally for only the third time, and the latter being Enzo Maccarinelli, former cruiserweight world champion, who is looking to rebound from a shock loss to Ola Afolabi earlier this year.

Enzo Maccarinelli (29-3-0, 22 KOs) vs. Denis Lebedev (17-0-0, 12 KOs)

Macca has shifted a lot of personal factors around since losing to Afolabi - he parted ways with Enzo Calzaghe and instead hired Karl Ince as his trainer, switching up a few things in his training camps in order to be better prepared to last the distance (he was ahead against Afolabi but ran out of steam). He is a former world champ, and is more experienced than his Russian counterpart.

Lebedev is not well-known, but apparently packs a huge punch. He has defeated a string of low-level competitors with ease, and is deemed ready to move up the ranks.

It is noteworthy that a defeat would set both men back a considerable distance - Maccarinelli may never recover from a third loss in four bouts, whilst Lebedev may be demoted from the "contender" ranks indefinitely, should he fail to dispatch the Welshman. Therefore, we should have an interesting scrap on our hands. My prediction is that Maccarinelli will emerge victorious in an easy unanimous decision.

James DeGale (2-0-0, 1 KO) vs. Ciaran Healey (10-10-1, 2 KOs):

Okay people - let's face it. DeGale isn't in for a tough test. It's odds-on that Healey couldn't knock me out, much less the middleweight Olympic-gold-medalist! DeGale faces a man with an even record in his second outing and is hoping to further polish his skills in front of a live audience. Despite my quip, Healey is actually a worthy gatekeeper, having fought many undefeated prospects in his time. He just won't have the answer to DeGale's mix of speed, power, and ring-smarts. DeGale by KO in round 2.

Yep - this marks the end of my second ever fight preview. I will, of course, be back with a post-fight analysis. In the meantime, I suggest you begin to follow the blog, or check me out on Twitter!
Boxing banter is always welcome at: pureboxingpress@gmail.com

Andre Ward - Emerging Superstar

In a tournament involving the likes of Froch, Kessler, Abraham and Taylor, it is easy to overlook soft-spoken, quietly confident Andre Ward, despite an extensive amateur background (that includes a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics) and a hugely promising start to his pro career.

Dismissing him, however, is a grave mistake.

Going by the self-styled nickname of “Son of God” – S.O.G. for short – Ward has moved through the ranks at a brisk pace, following his decision to try his hand at professional boxing after his Olympic triumph.

In fact, in his first 19 fights, the Oakland native has only ever faced one boxer who did not boast a winning record. In his last seven bouts, five of which he won by KO/TKO, his opponents had a collective record of 147-14 – an impressive resume for the 25-year-old.

Despite all of this, Ward’s greatest weapon against the elite pugilists he will face is his work ethic; a recurring theme in all of the interviews that S.O.G. gives is his propensity to prepare diligently and to scrutinize every part of himself before he steps into the ring. Ward is likely to talk about being in the correct state of mind, in perfect physical shape and of possessing good knowledge of his opponent’s ways. He always says that the most important aspect of camp is to achieve a high level of stability that will enable him to perform on fight night.

I will gently remind you that we live in a world in which Chris Arreola does not fulfill his potential because he cannot control his weight, and James Kirkland throws away his career after being found in (illegal, parole-violating) possession of a gun – again. Ward’s stability spiel is more than a front he puts up: it’s the primary reason he has managed to cope well with fame, and make no significant mistakes in doing so.

Of course, this does not mean Ward is lacking in the technical department. He is prodigiously skilled and utilizes a deadly combination of speed and power to find and exploit the weaknesses of his opponents. He has outstanding ring generalship and is highly efficient in employing both established boxing fundamentals and an improvised, awkward-to-deal-with-style, as he proved to the world time and again in winning the gold medal in the light heavyweight category in Athens in 2004. To do so, he had to get past a collection of highly decorated opponents: reigning amateur world champ Evgeny Makarenko, former world champ Utkirbek Haydarov and future heavyweight Olympic medalist Clemente Russo.

The only challenge that Ward now has ahead of him is that of delivering the goods when it matters most and taking the necessary risks in order to win. Truth be told, Ward has never faced a significant challenge, nor has he had to cope with being an underdog or unforeseen adjustments during a fight. His first bout in the Super Six World Boxing Classic will be against current WBA champ Mikkel Kessler – a perennial top-twenty pound-for-pound boxer. This calls for a versatility that Ward has not yet had a chance to exhibit, and may come to represent his first ever uphill battle. A win would give S.O.G. his first major belt and propel him to superstardom; a loss would not set him back considerably, but would provide a priceless learning experience.

The Oakland-native's promoter, Dan Goossen, head of Goossen-Tutor Promotions, insists that Andre Ward is the next big thing. We’ve seen he has the individual pieces needed to build himself into a dominating champ. Let’s see if he can put them together in his hour of need.

World Boxing Classic - Six Man Super Middleweight Tournament is Official!

Upon hearing the news, I took a lengthy walk and inspected the state of the world. No, there was no fire raining from the sky; nor were the seas running red with blood. Now that the initial shock is wearing off, I can assume that the six-man super middleweight tournament that Showtime has been harping on about is actually happening! But - it seems paradoxical, somehow:

Could it be that six elite boxers are actually signing on to fight ... each other?

Most fighters these days are too preoccupied with protecting their win-loss ratio and conservatively calculating the risk and reward associated with every bout. They are too busy trying to negotiate finances, or else choosing to make routine title defenses against alphabet-belt mandatory challengers.

Therefore, I suggest that all of us take off our proverbial hats to the six men who have agreed to compete in World Boxing Classic - a round-robin tournament organized by Showtime, with the express purpose of crowning a divisional champ among the 168 pounders. The pugilists involved (in alphabetical order) are:

Arthur Abraham (30-0-0, 24 KOs): fighting out of Germany, the Armenian warrior who goes by King Arthur has made ten successive defenses of his IBF middleweight belt. He is vacating it in order to move up to 168 and take part in the tournament.

Andre Dirrell (18-0-0, 13 KOs): the Flint, Michigan native won a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics and is ready to step up to elite opposition in a tournament which will give him the chance to showcase his considerable skills.

Carl Froch (25-0-0, 20 KOs): having finally emerged from the shadow of Joe Calzaghe as the top British super middleweight, Froch made his first defense of the WBC title by knocking out Jermain Taylor in the 12th round of a hotly contested fight. He is putting his WBC strap on the line to participate.

Mikkel Kessler (41-1-0, 31 KOs): former WBA and WBC super middleweight champion, his only loss is a decision to a prime Joe Calzaghe - which makes him very good, indeed! Currently WBA champ, he is scheduled to put his title on the line in order to compete.

Jermain Taylor (28-3-1, 17 KOs): one-time undisputed middleweight champ, he has recently suffered several setbacks, in the form of two losses to Kelly Pavlik, and one to Carl Froch. Taylor is looking to rebound by winning the tournament, dominating the super middleweight division and adding to his collection of belts.

Andre Ward (19-0-0, 12 KOs): the Olympic gold-medallist is looking to become recognized as the best 168-pounder out there. Superb boxing skills and an impressive string of victories make him a worthy challenger to the likes of Kessler and Froch.

Almost as if to prove to the world that the tourney is no hoax, Showtime gathered all six men, placed them on a podium for photographs, and announced the first-round of fights:

Arthur Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor
Carl Froch vs. Andre Dirrell
Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward

In case you're wondering by now, the format is as follows: there are three bouts scheduled for each fighter. At the end of it, the boxers ranked one through four, in terms of points, will face off in a semi-final, to decide who fights for the overall title. A worthy concept, if you ask me! Points are awarded thusly:
2 for a win (with a 1-point bonus for a KO/TKO)
1 for a draw
0 for a loss

So. If this tournament happens as per the schedule set forth by Showtime, we should have 12 extremely interesting fights over the next year-and-a-half - all involving prime contenders/champions!

Of course, there is a little something missing: namely, Lucian Bute, and another worthy candidate (Pavlik? Wright? Andrade? Balzsay?) that could have turned World Boxing Classic into an eight-man affair and put three or four belts on the line, thus producing a true undisputed champion. Showtime argued against this, citing an exaggerated time frame and logistical difficulties - both valid excuses. In any case, Bute is likely to be a stand-by for the tourney, in case of injury or contractual dispute amongst the other fighters, so we may yet see him in action. Regardless of this, I think all boxing fans should focus on the positive aspect of World Boxing Classic - namely, that it does the sweet science a world of good, and is the most ambitious and all-encompassing boxing endeavor of the decade. Bravo to Showtime and the six pugilists involved!

To celebrate this brave group, PureBoxingPress will be chronicling the careers of each of the fighters over the next couple of weeks (in reverse alphabetical order, just because). Therefore, please be sure to stay tuned for the piece on Andre Ward, which will be up over the next 36 hours.

I also encourage you to become a follower of the blog, or else follow me on Twitter!
Any questions, concerns or comments should be emailed to: pureboxingpress@gmail.com
Boxing banter is, of course, always welcome!

"Sugar" Shane Mosley and his Great Dilemma

The Staples Center was fuller than it had ever been. Hordes of boxing fans had descended upon the arena to see one of the most intriguing welterweight matchups of the decade. But "Sugar" Shane Mosley could not be bothered with that just now - he had a very important item of business to take care of, and could afford no distractions.

The bell sounds, indicating the start of the ninth round, with Mosley and Margarito tapping gloves as they come out of their respective corners. Sugar Shane stalks the Tijuana Tornado, landing combinations to the Mexican's granite chin with an otherworldly speed. Mosley has his opponent on the ropes continually and proceeds to up the ante forty seconds in. Margarito crumples under the barrage and referee Raul Caiz steps in to wave the fight off.

Calm as you like, Mosley turns his back to his bruised-and-battered opponent, raises his arms above his head, and proceeds to bow to each section of the crowd, as though nothing of note had just occurred.

But something big happened that night. Something so big, that Mosley has had to wait six full months in order to even contemplate his next move. What happened was that the 37-year-old version of Sugar outsmarted, outfought and outlasted a prime Antonio Margarito, who had been tagged as the best welterweight in the world.

In the course of one night, Mosley went from generally being regarded as "washed-up" to being WBA world champ in his division, and the RING's number one rated contender. Members of the press who had been howling about a mismatch, fearing for Mosley's safety in the face of "hell-in-short-pants" Margarito were left staring, mouth-agape, at a bizarre twist of the laws of time.

In this fairy-tale ending, however, the hero is not permitted to ride off into the sunset with the woman of his dreams (ironically, Mosley's wife filed for divorce a week before the Margarito match). This is the world of boxing, and our heroes must be back to entertain us until they slur their words or until the public has some new icon to look up to. Mosley, being a fighter at heart who has never attempted to avoid any boxer at all, was eager for a shot at pound-for-pound champ Manny Pacquiao, or the awkward-and-highly-regarded Paul Williams, or a unification against Andre Berto, or a rematch with the outstanding Miguel Cotto.

The problem is this - Mosley represents a tremendous risk in exchange for minimal reward. If he were beaten by any of the above, the public is liable to claim that Mosley is too old to be relevant. Pacquiao, Williams, Berto and Cotto know that Sugar Shane still presents a formidable challenge, even at an advanced age. As such, they would much rather take easier routes. The deal is this:

As of right now, Cotto is otherwise preoccupied. He has already beaten Mosley, in 2007, in a close decision. Junito has been in wars with the Mosley-dethroned Margarito (which he lost via TKO) and with Joshual Clottey (in which he won a narrow decision) and is currently negotiating with Pacquiao. After all the punishment Miguel Cotto has taken in two of his last three fights, the last thing he wants to do is rematch with a fierce Mosley, who would no doubt give him fits. He would much rather take the pound-for-pound fight against Pacman, which represents less of a risk, profesionally speaking, and more money.

Similarly, Pacquiao is looking to take the easy road in order to retain his mythical crown for just a bit longer. After sending Oscar de la Hoya and (hopefully) Ricky Hatton into retirement in his last two outings, the Filipino master will be looking to take on more big names from the 135-147 lbs bracket. However, he will only do so on his own terms, with regard to both the financial aspect and the catch-weight. Pacquiao vs. Mosley could have taken place somewhere above 140 and below 147, but Roach was reticent to get the fight made; truth be told, Mosley hasn't been under 147 lbs since 1999. I think that asking him to make 143 is an insult, especially when you consider the fact that Manny had no problem fighting Golden Boy at 147. When asked about this discrepancy, Roach replied:

"Yeah - but Mosley isn't Oscar."

Which is his way of saying: "I know Manny'll get beat at 147. We gotta drain Mosley a lil bit."

With that, Mosley danced around Pacman for a little, trying to persuade him to take the fight, and even agreeing to the catch-weight and whatever split of the purse the Filipino may have wanted. Truth is this: Manny will only fight Mosley if it's the last possible option. Hence the ongoing negotiations with Cotto, which, last I heard, weren't going too well, on account of Cotto grumbling about making anything below 145 lbs. As a countermeasure, Pacquiao has been whispering about Mosley agreeing to 143. That's option one.

Between options one and two, it is only correct that we talk about Paul Williams, who has had a Mosley-like difficulty in finding willing opponents (the infinitely admirable Winky Wright being the sole exception). Sugar has explicitly stated that he would not like to fight The Punisher, but I'm fairly sure that, in the right conditions, he would. To cement this view, the news broke a couple of days ago that Mosley was done chasing Pac, and wanted Berto, Williams, Cintron or Clottey. Any of these fights would be intriguing, but none more so than the Williams bout. The Punisher, who has an 82-inch reach (Mike Tyson had 71 by comparison), is highly skillful and would cause big, big problems even for the prodigiously-gifted Mosley.

Much like the Pac-Sugar connection, Sugar-Punisher will only be on in the most extenuating circumstances. Now, back to business:

Option two for Mosley is Andre Berto, with whom Golden Boy Promotions has begun to negotiate. First of all, this would present a unification of the WBA and WBC belts, which is always significant. Secondly, it would show the world what Berto, who is an undefeated former Olympian and amateur standout, is made of. Problem with Berto-Mosley is this: it wouldn't sell well. I mean, Mosley has a decent following in LA, but Berto's fought two of his last four bouts in Biloxi and Tennessee - indicative of a chronic disinterest on behalf of the public.

Oh, and of course, Berto might wind up being completely overmatched here. I mean, he barely got by Luis Collazo, in a fight which I scored a draw. Mosley damn near shut the man out a couple of years ago. It is also possible that Berto will break out of his shell and stun the world, commencing a reign of terror atop the talented welterweight ranks. But it's less likely than a Mosley win over Margarito looked about ten months ago. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

In any case, I sincerely hope that Pacquiao makes up his mind about who he wants to fight - and soon. Him and Cotto can go at it this November, around the time when Mosley and Berto would be facing off. The winners can be paired up, or enter the post-Marquez Mayweather sweepstakes. The possibilities are near-endless. And most of them are mouthwatering.

Technorati - YAY!

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Arturo "Thunder" Gatti (1972-2009)

The world is saddened today by the passing of Arturo "Thunder" Gatti, a two-division world champion and boxing legend, who police confirm died of blunt trauma to the head in his rented condo at the upscale Porto de Galinhas beach.

Gatti, a popular warrior-boxer often credited with injecting life in the pugilistic scene of Atlantic City, is best remembered for his trilogy against Micky Ward and being involved in THE RING magazine's "Fight of the Year Award" a total of four times - for the years 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2003 - the latter two being for the first and third Ward encounters.

Thunder, an Italian-born Canadian who fought out of New Jersey, filled the legendary Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City a total of nine times and was considered to be a fighter's fighter - always battling on, even against astronomical odds. His rough-and-tumble style endeared him to a dedicated legion of fans, whose unwavering support carried Gatti through thick and thin.

At his apex, Gatti defeated Tracy Harris Patterson to claim the IBF super featherweight belt, which he held for two years, and also won the WBC light welterweight strap which he kept for a year and a half, until it was relinquished to Floyd Mayweather Jr.

But Gatti's interim career is the most indicative of his essence: three magnificent fights against "Irish" Micky Ward, two of which were won despite Thunder's broken right hand; a one-body-punch KO of gritty Leonard Dorin; a brave effort against a prime Oscar de la Hoya; a comeback KO win against Wilson Rodriguez; an attempted comeback at age 35 which ended in a loss - all of which demonstrate his excessive passion for his trade.

In defeat Gatti was, somehow paradoxically, at his most heroic: against Manfredy, he had a gash the size of a pencil on his eyebrow when the fight was stopped. Gatti protested this, and was informed by the ringside physician that he had been cut to the bone; to this, Thunder nonchalantly replied: "Good, that means it can't get any deeper, right? Lemme fight on!"

Gatti was not a supremely talented fighter. He did not possess exceptional speed, or power. He compensated for this by being the bravest boxer since Jake LaMotta, and adopting a brawling, crowd-pleasing style that did the sport a tremendous service. In life, he exemplified the qualities of a populist boxer: clean fighting, a good set of whiskers and a humble demeanor in both victory and defeat.

But, as the world slept on Saturday morning, his life was violently extinguished by a senseless and barbaric act. In death, Gatti leaves behind a sparkling legacy and an anthology of memorable fights that reminds every boxing enthusiast why our sport is so great.

Rest in peace, champ.

Agbeko defends title, befuddles Darchinyan

Joseph Agbeko pulled off a slight upset to score a close, but unanimous, decision against favored Vic Darchinyan, by scores of 114-113 (twice) and 116-111. Agbeko dominated the fight from the onset, scoring the straight right hand at will and using an impeccable head and body-movement technique to avoid most of Raging Bull's bombs. Agbeko showed a fantastic chin, never being seriously hurt by the Armenian's power.

The fight was, however, somewhat dirty, with both fighters being subject to headbutts, elbows and low-blows, despite the fact that no points were deducted by referee Tommy Kimmons.

Agbeko was down in a bizarre seventh round, which lasted a total of four minutes due to timekeeping errors. Replays show that Agbeko was, in fact, pushed to the ground by Darchinyan, but the ref gave the Ghanaian a standing eight count, supposedly awarding the round to Raging Bull by the standard score of 10-8.

Post fight, Agbeko promised his home country of Ghana a lengthy reign atop the bantamweight division, while Darchinyan vowed to learn from his mistakes and come back strong in the future.

On the undercard, Tony DeMarco defeated Anges Adjaho via ninth round KO in a controversial moment, with the Mexican apparently hitting Adjaho while he had his knee down. Replays showed that the fighter from Benin was not technically down when DeMarco delivered a blow to the back of his head, and so Adjaho was counted out by referee Telis Assimenios. Until the ninth, the fight had been well contested, with one judge scoring it an even bout, and the other two splitting the cards. DeMarco will go on to face Edwin Valero for his WBC lightweight belt.

Also on the undercard, Steve Cunningham won a unanimous decision over Wayne Braithwaite for a shot at the IBF cruiserweight belt.

Agbeko vs. Darchinyan - Analysis

MATCH: Joseph Agbeko (26-1, 22 KOs) vs. Vic Darchinyan (32-1-1, 26 KOs)


DATE: Saturday, July 11 2009.


WEIGHT CLASS: Bantamweight, 118 lbs.


TITLES: Agbeko's IBF Belt.


LOCATION: BankAtlantlic Center, Sunrise, FL.


TV INFO: Showtime, 9PM ET/PT

UNDERCARD:

Tony DeMarco vs. Anges Adjaho (WBA eliminator, also televised)
Steve Cunningham vs. Wayne Braithwaite (IBF eliminator, not televised)


Agbeko's Advantages:


"King Kong" Agbeko, although relatively unheard of, especially in the USA, is one in a long line of Ghanaian world champions and contenders: Joshua Clottey and Ike Quartey come to mind (the former having given Miguel Cotto fits for 12 rounds a month ago, and the latter having been robbed of victories against both De la Hoya and Vernon Forrest in the eyes of some). But being Ghanaian in boxing is generally equated to having the heart of a lion, and Agbeko has demonstrated this throughout a solid career.


He is also the naturally bigger man in this matchup (and no, I'm not referring to Vic's insults here) as a natural bantamweight, with an impressive KO record that denotes very good power. Agbeko also knows how to protect his chin (he's never even been knocked down), using head movement and good upper body work - this may come in especially handy against a powerful guy like Vic.


That Agbeko is a highly determined boxer, who has been given an opportunity to fight a smaller man for more fame and recognition than he could have hoped for a year ago is not to be ignored. You can bet your last dime that when the Ghanaian warrior steps into the ring tomorrow night, he'll be determined to fight through hell to defend his belt and good reputation.


Darchinyan's Advantages:


Vicious Vic (aptly nicknamed "Raging Bull") has made a habit of knocking out sturdy boxers: Cristian Mijares and Jorge Arce come to mind! Mijares was WBC and WBA World Champ in the junior bantamweight division, and Arce had only been stopped once before in a distinguished 56 fight career. This means one thing: an unnatural power. Indeed, Darchinyan is widely recognized as one of the top pound-for-pound punchers in the game, and his career record proves it. Furthermore, the fact that the Armenian-born fighter started out as a flyweight and carried his power over to the super flyweight ranks inspires a certain confidence in the man's ability to inflict damage.

Darchinyan possesses superb reflexes and athleticism, and has an almost-comically unorthodox stance, from which he throws punches at angles so odd that I'm surprised he's never KFTO'd a ref. He is an underrated boxer and exhibits good footwork when remembers to use it!

Lastly, he is running very high in the confidence department, having unified the super flyweight titles over the last year or so.

Agbeko's Disadvantages:

In one word - inexperience. Although a seasoned fighter in his own right, Agbeko has never dealt with an opponent of Darchinyan's pedigree. It is noteworthy that, since his controversial loss against Wlad Sidorenko, Agbeko has fought five times in five years, taking all of 2005 and 2006 off, and only climbing into the ring once in 2008. Since then, his opponents have had a combined record of 59-10, whereas Darchinyan has faced three former or current world champions, whose records (combined 116-10) do not do justice to their outstanding skill.

Agbeko is also being coached by the man who trained him as an amateur, Adama Ardey, who has been a good personal factor for the Ghanaian, but has not shown an extensive technical acumen that is generally required of those who prepare fighters for championship fights. Whether or not Ardey will be able to help his fighter adjust to Darchinyan's difficult style is pivotal to the outcome of the fight. Agbeko's tactical stagnation in his last few outings seems to indicate that it may be too great an ask to outsmart the wily Armenian.

Darchinyan's Disadvantages:

In two words - Nonito Donaire. The Filipino Flash caught Vic right on the chin in the fifth round of Vic's defense of his IBF flyweight title. Raging Bull could not beat the count, and looked a mess afterwards (bloody nose and all). Although Darchinyan showed drastic improvement in his subsequent bouts, the KO of the Year in 2007 proved that he was vulnerable to be hit with a hook when coming in to punch. Furthermore, Vic has yet to show us any semblance of defensive skill, which may be problematic against the biggest man he's ever faced. Thus, the risk of getting caught is fairly high - too high for a fighter of his caliber!

Besides the Donaire incident, Vic was never subtle - inside or outside the ring. Hence, his tendency to stand and trade bombs might just get him in trouble against a warrior like Agbeko.

Outcome Prediction:

Most pundits fancy Darchinyan in those one, and I would have to agree with them. Brave though he is, I cannot see Agbeko standing up to Darchinyan's freakish power and awkward style for 12 rounds. In the end, Raging Bull's superior natural talent and ring smarts will overcome King Kong's size advantage and chin. I predict a seventh round KO for Vic Darchinyan.

Undercard Analysis, Part I:

Fom what I gather, Showtime will televize the bout between Tony DeMarco and Anges Adjaho, so maybe I should start with that one. A small spiel on each fighter in this WBA lightweight eliminator:

Tony DeMarco (21-1, 15 KOs):

The talented Mexican fighter has put together a good string of ten successive wins, which have propelled him up the rankings and given him the bout against Adjaho, whose winner becomes WBA champion Edwin Valero's mandatory challenger.

DeMarco has good power in both hands and a solid grasp of fundamentals, but is an otherwise incomplete pugilist who may develop into a true contender in the next two or three years (he is, after all, only 23).

Anges Adjaho (24-1, 14 KOs):

A fairly obscure figure, who fought most of his career out of Africa, where he held a number of titles, has so far failed in his only World Championship eliminator match, against Miguel Acosta. His only notable victory is a decision over Fernando Angulo, and let's face it - he's not exactly a future Hall-of-Famer, is he?

Outcome Prediction:

DeMarco is a good prospect, who may be ready to step it up in the spotlight. Adjaho will not have the boxing skills and the ring experience to keep up with the Mexican youngster, and will gradually slow after the opening rounds. I predict a fourth round KO for Tony DeMarco. Just as a cynical sidenote - the reward for winning this match is a shot at Edwin Valero, who is known for destroying a billion brain cells inside of three minutes in the ring. Not exactly appealing, is it?

Undercard Analysis, Part II:

The untelevised bout between Steve Cunningham and Wayne Braithwaite is also relevant, as it serves as an eliminator for Adamek's IBF title. Hence, I get to throw my two cents on it:

Steve "USS" Cunningham (23-2, 11 KOs):

Cunningham stepped on to the world scene when he won the IBF Cruiserweight title in a rematch against Krzysztof Wlodarczyk in mid 2007. Since then, he has defended it against solid-contender Marco Huck and lost it in a split decision to Tomasz Adamek.

Cunningham is a very good, complete boxer, who has a reasonably high chance at winning at least one more world title in his career. At 32, he has a few good fights in him, and has been an established contender in the division for about five years, which shows his durability and skill.

Wayne "Big Truck" Braithwaite (23-3, 19 KOs):

Big Truck is notable for having held the WBC cruiserweight title for almost three years, and losing a one-sided decision to Enzo Maccarinelli for the WBO belt. Braithwaite has very good power, as is shown by a high KO ratio, but his work rate tends to drop in the latter stages of fights, which is a liability when facing a workhorse such as Cunningham. At almost 34 years old, Braithwaite's career may be drawing to a close - however, rest assured he'll be looking to prove his power by beating "USS" tomorrow night and squaring off for another world title.

Outcome Prediction:

Braithwaite is a seasoned pro, but the power of Big Truck will be offset by the complete skill set of Cunningham. Hence, USS will outwork and outclass his opponent in every department, before knocking him out in the middle rounds. My prediction is an fifth round KO for Steve Cunningham, who will then go on to get a well-deserved rematch with Adamek for the IBF belt.

So that's the end of my first major blog on a fight. I hope you enjoyed it, and that we'll see a couple of great matches tomorrow from Sunrise, Fla.