Boxing! (June 24 - 30)

[H2O Man]

(All bouts subject to change)

WEDNESDAY - at Gold Coast, QLD, Australia - 12 rounds,
WBA super middleweight title: Anthony Mundine (28-3, 22 KOs)
vs. Pablo Daniel Zamora Nievas (16-1-1, 11 KOs).

WEDNESDAY - at New York (ESPN2) - 10 rounds -
super middleweights: Yusaf Mack (22-1-2, 14 KOs)
vs. Jose Juan Vasquez (16-1-1, 9 KOs); 8 rounds,
heavyweights: Michael Grant (41-3, 31 KOs) vs.
Billy Zumbrun (21-8-1, 11 KOs); 8 rounds,
junior middleweights: Nick Acevedo (17-2, 9 KOs)
vs. Max Cuevas (9-5-1, 5 KOs).

FRIDAY - at Sydney, Australia - 12 rounds, super
featherweights: Gairy St Clair (38-4-2, 17 KOs) vs.
Robert Oyan (18-29-4, 6 KOs).

FRIDAY - at Marseille, France - 12 rounds,
WBA bantamweight title: Wladimir Sidorenko
(19-0-2, 6 KOs) vs. Jerome Arnould (14-2-1, 9 KOs).

FRIDAY - at Staten Island, New York (ESPN2) -
12 rounds, cruiserweights: Emmanuel Nwodo
(21-3, 17 KOs) vs. Darnell Wilson (21-5-3, 18 KOs).

FRIDAY - at Camp Verde, Arizona (Telefutura) -
10 rounds, light welterweights: Victor Ortiz
(17-1-1, 12 KOs) vs. Anthony Mora (15-1, 10 KOs).

SATURDAY - at Moscow - 12 rounds, vacant IBF
super flyweight title: Dimitri Kirilov
(28-3, 9 KOs) vs. Ricardo Vargas (39-12-3, 13 KOs);
12 rounds, heavyweights: Oleg Platov (25-1, 20 KOs)
vs. Henry Akinwande (49-3-1, 30 KOs); 10 rounds,
heavyweights: Alexander Povetkin (12-0, 10 KOs) vs.
Larry Donald (42-4-3, 24 KOs).

SATURDAY - at Stuttgart, Germany - 12 rounds,
WBA middleweight title: Felix Sturm (27-2, 12 KOs)
vs. Noe Tulio Gonzalez (14-0, 7 KOs)

SATURDAY - at El Paso, Texas (PPV) - 10 rounds,
heavyweights: Evander Holyfield (41-8-2, 27 KOs)
vs. Lou Savarese (46-6, 38 KOs); 10 rounds, heavyweights:
David Rodriguez (24-0, 23 KOs) vs. Rick Dyer (12-0, 12 KOs).

[H2O Man]

1. A week of

weak heavyweight retread contenders, capped off with Evan Fields Forever fighting Lou Savarese.

There are some interesting fights this week. However, there are a couple of things that I think are almost as interesting: first, it has been reported that Oscar De La Hoya called Ricky Hatton already. He expressed some interest in the possibility of fighting Hatton in England. I think Oscar would love to win a "superfight," and although Hatton is two weight classes lower, Oscar might be thinking it could be sold.

More importantly could be that Oscar is becoming a force in promoting fights. And right now, Hatton versus Mayweather could be made. The truth is that Hatton has a better chance of pulling out a victory against Mayweather than Oscar did (or does, if anyone thinks a rematch is a serious proposition).

Mayweather has said that, though retired, he will go to England and retire Hatton .... and then offer Ricky a job. I think it would be a heck of a fight.

Also, Oscar should consider fighting Cotto. That would be an interesting match-up. At this point, I'd favor Oscar to win a late round TKO.

Would Hatton v Mayweather and De La Hoya v Cotto be attractive fights? Who do you think would win in each match, were they made? Why?

[TSIAS]

2. Interesting questions

Honestly, there's not a whole lot to discuss in regard to this week's televised fights. I can't believe that Michael Grant, Henry Akinwande, Evan Fields, Larry Donald, and Lou Savarese are still fighting. Thinking about future fights in the 140-154 weight class is much more entertaining than talking about any of this week's fights.

I'm wondering if Hatton is considering teaming up with Golden Boy. I saw that Barrera entered the ring with Hatton. DLH vs Hatton in Manchester would be crazy. The weight would have to be negotiated. Mayweather hasn't fought at 147 since the Split Decision loss to Mosley and his destruction of Gatti. Hatton moved up to 147 but moved down to Light Welterweight after a tough fight with Collazo. Maybe they could do a fight at a catchweight of 150.

I was thinking, since DLH/Mayweather is history, about the best fights available to be made in the sport. Most of them involve fighters between 140 and 160 pounds.

1) Cotto vs. DLH: This could be a PPV megafight. And it would be guaranteed to be more entertaining than Floyd/Oscar II. The big question in terms of marketing is how well known Cotto is with the mainstream public. I see he's learning to speak English. That's a good sign for him transcending boxing and becoming a star. I'd pick Oscar by KO as well. Cotto has a lot of holes, and I think a fighter of Oscar's caliber would more effectively exploit them. DLH isn't a big puncher anymore, but if Judah or Corley can hurt Cotto, than DLH certainly could.

2) Hatton vs. Mayweather: Hatton might have a more effective style to handle Floyd than anybody else. I think Mayweather would have to go down to 147 to make this fight happen. That shouldn't be a problem. Floyd isn't a true 154 pound fighter. It just happens that DLH was there and it was the biggest fight at the moment. If they fought in England, it would be a huge fight there. I'm not sure either fighter has a big enough fan base here to demand the kind of dollars both fighters would surely ask for.

3) Cotto vs. Margarito: This fight is likely to become a reality if Margarito gets past the very talented Paul Williams next month. In terms of excitement, this is probably the best fight that could be made in boxing today. Margarito would surely be Cotto's toughest competition to date.

4) Kessler vs. Calzaghe: Another fight that would have to happen in Europe. The problem here is that neither fighter is known to anyone outside the hardcore base of fight fans. And the division is fairly weak once you get past these two guys.

5) Cotto vs. Mosley: It seems like most of my wish list of fights include Cotto. Mosley would be a good choice for Cotto if the aforementioned fights cannot be made.

6) Pacquiao vs. Barrera/Marquez II: Pacquiao is my favorite fighter to watch in boxing today. Pacquiao has unfinished business with Marquez, considering their draw a few years ago. I could also add Joan Guzman to the list of possible Pacquiao opponents.

7) Taylor vs. Pavlik: This fight should be on for late September. I've never been particularly impressed with Taylor. Originally, Taylor v. Miranda was at the top of my list. But Pavlik was so impressive last fight that he deserves a chance at Taylor. I don't know why, but the prospect of Taylor/Wright II bores me to death. I'll be rooting for Pavlik in this contest.

8)Wladimir Klitschko vs. ???: I had to make perfunctory mention of boxing's most historical prestiguous division, the HW's. I know I enjoy watching Klitschko fight. The best fight I can think of is a rematch with Peter were he to defeat Maskaev. It would be interesting to see how much Peter has improved since their last meeting. Peter showed he had the power to hurt Klitschko, knocking him down late in their first fight. Unfortunately, Peter will likely be forced to fight Vitali Klitschko or Oliver McCall first. Actually, V.Klitschko/Peter would be a great fight. I could care less about Peter/McCall.

9) Cotto vs. Mayweather: I forgot to add that earlier. It's certainly high up on the list of dream fights. It's hard for me to pick against Mayweather in any big fight. I don't think for a minute that Floyd's retired. Mayweather will fight big events, but skip the type of mandatory defenses that are assigned to mere mortal boxers. Once someone offers Mayweather eight figures for a fight, he'll be ready.

[H2O Man]

5. Those are all

interesting possibilities. I think it is going to be interesting to see how Margarito does against Williams. While Margarito is talented and brings excitement to the sport, I think that he has weaknesses that can be exploited by another top fighter. Williams might not be the one to do it.

I think that Cotto vs Margarito would be one of the most exciting fights that could be made. I'd also like to see Mosley fight either of them.

Last week, I read an update on SecondsOut that reported the proposed V. Klitschko vs J McCline fight has moved close to being signed. That might be a more important fight than it appears on paper.

I am surprised that any promoter would be trying to sell Holyfield vs Savarese as a PPV match.

[TSIAS]

6. ...

Cotto v. Margarito is a big fight in the division. Margarito has been recognized by fight fans as a top fighter for years, but hasn't gotten the big opportunity to prove his supremacy. This is the best fight that can be made for the remainder of 2007.

Klitschko/McCline appears to be on. However, no major television has planned to broadcast the bout to the States. It's hard to tell how Klitschko will respond to the two year layoff. It is a big fight for Vitali in his first fight back from "retirement".

Fields/Savarese is a disgrace. The undercard is so poor that I'd never imagine purchasing the event, even at a reduced price of $30. I just hope that no sanctioning body elevates him to the ranking that would merit a "World" title shot.

[H2O Man]

7. Margarito

is an exciting fighter who has rightfully earned a place among the top of his division. He has not proven himself to be at the very top. He had the opportunity to fight Cotto, but opted to fight Williams first. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with his making that decision, but it doesn't support the claim he hasn't been given the opportunity to prove his "supremacy."

If he beats Williams, a fight between him and Cotto will be one of the best that could be made in any division. That would be, in part, because "styles make fights." Both are tough, talented warriors who have the ability to knock the other man out at any moment in any round. But it would be a stretch to suggest that the winner would be "supreme" in the welterweight division.

Joshua Clottey deserves a rematch with Margarito, and while Margarito was impressive in their 2006 bout, he did not look unbeatable. The name "Daniel Santos" is also important whenconsidering Margarito's position in the welterweight divisions.

Should he win his next two fights, it would be interesting to see him matched against Shane Mosley. By that time, Mayweather will have defeated Hatton, and Margarito might be able to attract more than the hard core boxing fans.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

3. Mayweather's people might want to think of hiring Eddie Cotton as the referee

Cotton was the referee in that controversial fight between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson who kept warning Lewis for excessive holding and finally took a point away. He also refereed the Malinaggi/N'dou fight and kept the fighters from getting close enough to hold and grab (too much, I think). As I understand the unwritten rules regarding excessive holding, it's okay for you to grab and hold your opponent after you are hit by a good punch. It's okay to hold if the other fighter isn't punching or trying to punch, as it then doesn't interrupt the action. It is quite permissible for the referee, however, to deduct points or even disqualify a fighter for excessive and repetitive holding (like Ruiz) after throwing punches at his opponent and done with the intention of keeping his opponent from hitting back. The rule applies in order to preserve the flow of action and to prevent a boxing match from becoming a wrestling match (which taken to the extreme is what it would become). Hatton, in my opinion, could be penalized with a referee that strictly enforces the rules, when he spends every round hitting and then grabbing with the intention of keeping the other fighter from fighting.

[H2O Man]

4. You are raising

a key point about Hatton's tactics: he isn't clinching -- which is okay in some contexts -- but is instead using aggressive wrestling tactics. As long as a referee allows him to get away with it, he's going to. In the Castillo fight, we saw the ref say something to him 4 times in the first two rounds, but he allowed Hatton to continue without any real warning.

I do not pretend to know much about other sports, but I have noticed that in basketball -- from high school to the professionals -- the refs often hold different players to different standards. And that is absolutely true in boxing. An example that comes to mind was when Muhammad Ali defeated George Chuvalo on March 29, 1966 in Toronto. Reporters asked the ref why he had allowed Chuvalo to commit fouls (particularly the numerous low blows) without consequence? The ref became a bit self-righteous, and said that it wouldn't have been a fair fight if Chuvalo had to go strictly by the rules.

If Mayweather goes to England, he would need to take steps to make sure that there is a competent referee, as well as judges who aren't Hatton Fan Club members.

[Wetzelbill]

10. Hatton

If he is focused and doesn't allow himself to get so out of shape in between fights, would be a very dangerous challenge to Mayweather. He could utlilize the same strategy that Castillo was successful with in his first fight with Floyd. Downside for Ricky is Floyd knows how to prepare for him. You pretty much know what you'll get from Hatton, style-wise. Other downside is that Floyd is one of the most gifted fighters ever. Hard to overcome that combination of athleticism, conditioning and skill. Hatton might be the best shot at anybody beating Floyd though.

[TSIAS]

8. Assorted news from this week

It indeed looks like Mayweather is targeting Hatton for a match. This just goes to show the comedy of any young fighter announcing his "retirement" after a big fight. Besides Hagler, I can't think of any fighter retiring in his prime and never returning. The most recent example would be Lewis retiring after his win over Klitschko, but Lewis was older and probably feared that Klitschko would win a rematch.

Personally, I'd consider this a super-fight. In terms of competitive value, I place it higher than DLH/Mayweather. Technically, Hatton would be at a huge disadvantage. It would be interesting to see how Mayweather would handle a younger, rugged, and pretty skilled fighter in Hatton.

Next, Felix Trinidad is making waves for a possible return next January. We could be looking at Trinidad/Roy Jones Jr. A few years ago, that fight would have been to die for. Today, I'm not sure it qualifies as a super fight. I wonder how much Tito is weighing these days. I'd have to think Trinidad would be fighting as a Light Heavyweight if he returns.

Jones does have a tune-up next month versus Anthony Hanshaw. It's a $25 PPV, not affiliated with HBO. I can't see how anybody but the hardcore Roy groupies (Believe me, I've seen a ton of them on the Internet) would be interested in this fight. HBO has a rare triple-header that same night, featuring Arturo Gatti, Kermit Cintron, and the Margarito/Williams title fight. Dan Rafael of ESPN still has Jones ranked at the #8 LH in the world. I think that's being generous. For all intents and purposes, Jones is pretty much a shot fighter.

Finally, there has been a unification fight scheduled in the HW division. Sultan Ibragimov and Ruslan Chagaev have signed to fight in Moscow to unify the WBA and WBO belts. The good news is that if HBO or Showtime doesn't decide to pick this contest up, it would be available to American fans via PPV. While this fight lacks much of the luster that would normally be expected for a Heavyweight "Title fight", it is a matchup between two top-five fighters in the division. The winner would have a legitimate claim to pursue a fight with the division's best fighter, Wladimir Klitschko.

[H2O Man]

9. 2 out of 3

are good news!

Mayweather vs Hatton had seemed like a superfight in the making for a couple years. Hatton had a period where he seemed to let down a bit, not uncommon after a guy wins a title. But I think Hatton has a much better chance against Mayweather than Oscar did. With De La Hoya, one of the points people made was that he was bigger; that size only matters when the bigger guy presses the issue. Hatton has an aggressive style, along with the physical strength, to make it a fight. And anyone who gets hit like Castillo is going to be in trouble.

Tito and Roy should both stay retired. And, even with Roy's seriously reduce abilities, he is far too big for Tito.

The heavyweight fight is one of the most important fights that can be made. It is also an intensely competitive one. Though casual US fans might not recognize it as such, it will be viewed as huge in the boxing world. I agree with you that it puts the winner into a position to challenge Klitschko, and thus it's one of the most important steps that can be taken to resolve the confusion in the division.

[TSIAS]

11. Evan Fields won a decision

I followed round-by-round online. Fields had Savarese down twice. The report I was reading had Fields winning 7-3, but the decision was wider as a result of the 2 knockdowns.

Sounds like the Col. Bob Sheridan was hyping Fields big time. Saying that he deserves a title shot, and could have beaten Sergei Liakhovich. It's quite sad to hear that Fields could get a shot at Sultan Ibragimov. He's been decent in his comeback, but hasn't fought anyone of consequence.

The FNF card was great yesterday. Darnell Wilson scored a devastating 11th Round KO. That left hook Wilson landed on Nwodo was a Sports Center type highlight. I thought the ref should have stopped it earlier. I could see that devastating KO coming a mile away. Luckily Nwodo wasn't seriously hurt.

Also, Felix Strum retained his trinket with a win over Middleweight legend Noe Tulio Gonzalez. The only thing I know about Sturm is that he nearly beat DLH at Middleweight in 2005.

[H2O Man]

13. Fields

reportedly sparred about 36 rounds over 6 weeks in preparation for the fight. That might get him ready for someone like Lou, but it won't work against one of the top tier guys. Maybe he should get a match against Klitschko, and then he can enjoy his retirement.

[nickgutierrez]

12. Wilson v. Nwodo - what a knockout.

Those two just threw huge punch after huge punch, and it was obvious that if either of them started connecting, the fight would be over right then. Wilson connected in the 10th or 11th (I don't remember, exactly - I was supposed to be working :P ), knocking Nwodo into next week. I honestly thought Nwodo might have been seriously injured, the way he went down, and it was reassuring to see him walking more or less under his own power up the steps to the locker room.

[H2O Man]

14. It seemed to me

that the referee and his corner failed Nwodo. I was glad to see him get up, but I have no doubt that punch caused injury to his brain.