In the first title fight of the weekend we saw the now laughable WBA "interim" title on the line. The bout, which pitted Russia's Dmitry Chudinov (12-0-2, 8) against Colombia's Juan Camilo Novoa (22-6-1, 20) looked like an interesting contest between big punchers on paper though was a long way from being a bout that anyone would consider a "world title bout. In fact you'd be hard pushed to find anyone, other than the WBA, who rated either man in the top 20 Middleweights on the planet.
The fight started in an entertaining manner with both fighters standing toe to toe and taking it in turns to unload on the other. It was a clear round for Chudinov though it seemed as if neither man was going to be able to take the other out early.
As it turned the fight became a case of Chudinov grinding down Novoa who by round 3 was already starting to crumble. The Colombian's attacks became less and less regular and it seemed that we were on the way to the end of the fight.
The reprieve, if you can call it that, for Novoa came in round 4 when a clash of heads opened up a cut on Chudinov. Unfortunately the cut didn't seem distract the Russian just fire him up as he stepped on the gas and made it clear that he wanted to destroy Novoa.
Novoa did well to see out the remaining time in round 4 and then see out round 5 but by the end of the fifth he was looking like a done fighter. Chudinov sensed as much and made sure that Novoa wasn't going to see out round 6.
Showing posts with label Middleweight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Middleweight. Show all posts
Saturday, 21 December 2013
Saturday, 7 December 2013
Erislandy Lara v Austin Trout
Some fights we accept aren't going to be stylistically fun to watch despite being "major fights" in terms of the division. One of those fights happened this Saturday as Cuban Erislandy Lara (19-2-1, 12) and American Austin Trout (26-2, 14) collided for the WBA Light Middleweight title.
When you have counter-punchers facing each other you can often expect to see the boxing equivalent to chess. Technically it's brilliant boxing but as a spectacle it's awful. Unfortunately both Lara and Trout are counter punchers, neither looks comfortable when forced to lead off, neither seem capable of making a fight and neither seem to have a plan B when their counter punching isn't working. Unfortunately that spoiled, what on paper, was an interesting contest.
It took less than a round for the crowd to decided they didn't like what they were watching and they let their emotions be known as they booed the men in the ring. This booing almost seemed to effect Trout who began to fall for the tricks Lara was setting. Lara, kept his form and continued to frustrate, move and out box Trout who became more and more reckless. Trout, after 4 rounds, was forced to concede he wouldn't win a chess game and instead chose to try and walk down Lara. Trout's attempt to walk to Lara were foiled big time by Lara's movement which left the American chasing shadows.
Trout, as one would expect, seemed to become more reckless from the fact he was missing and being tagged in returned. His excellent boxing was vanishing as Trout began to put on a masterclass and after 7 rounds it appeared that we were seeing a genuine schooling of a very good fighter.
Having established a clear lead on the cards Lara seemed to turn off a little bit. He was still using his boxing skills to take the rounds but he was certainly letting the distance between the men close a bit more. It seemed that this was merely a ploy to allow Lara to load up on his shots a bit more and in round 11 we saw the power of Lara take effect as he sent Trout down hard with a hard left hand.
Although Trout got up from knock down it seemed like he was ready to go and Lara went for him rocking him again before the bell saved him.
With Trout having seen out the storm in round 11 it appeared that Lara would jump on him immediately to begin round 12. Trout's corner knew this and made sure he could buy his man some time by "spilling" water on the canvas. This was enough to let Trout's legs recover enough to let him see out round 12 but by then the fight was already over in regards to the scorecards.
The domination by Lara, via his gameplan, of Trout had been excellent it, it was hard to see anything other than a clear decision in favour of Lara and the judges all agree with that view. All the scores varied but they all got the right man.
When you have counter-punchers facing each other you can often expect to see the boxing equivalent to chess. Technically it's brilliant boxing but as a spectacle it's awful. Unfortunately both Lara and Trout are counter punchers, neither looks comfortable when forced to lead off, neither seem capable of making a fight and neither seem to have a plan B when their counter punching isn't working. Unfortunately that spoiled, what on paper, was an interesting contest.
It took less than a round for the crowd to decided they didn't like what they were watching and they let their emotions be known as they booed the men in the ring. This booing almost seemed to effect Trout who began to fall for the tricks Lara was setting. Lara, kept his form and continued to frustrate, move and out box Trout who became more and more reckless. Trout, after 4 rounds, was forced to concede he wouldn't win a chess game and instead chose to try and walk down Lara. Trout's attempt to walk to Lara were foiled big time by Lara's movement which left the American chasing shadows.
Trout, as one would expect, seemed to become more reckless from the fact he was missing and being tagged in returned. His excellent boxing was vanishing as Trout began to put on a masterclass and after 7 rounds it appeared that we were seeing a genuine schooling of a very good fighter.
Having established a clear lead on the cards Lara seemed to turn off a little bit. He was still using his boxing skills to take the rounds but he was certainly letting the distance between the men close a bit more. It seemed that this was merely a ploy to allow Lara to load up on his shots a bit more and in round 11 we saw the power of Lara take effect as he sent Trout down hard with a hard left hand.
Although Trout got up from knock down it seemed like he was ready to go and Lara went for him rocking him again before the bell saved him.
With Trout having seen out the storm in round 11 it appeared that Lara would jump on him immediately to begin round 12. Trout's corner knew this and made sure he could buy his man some time by "spilling" water on the canvas. This was enough to let Trout's legs recover enough to let him see out round 12 but by then the fight was already over in regards to the scorecards.
The domination by Lara, via his gameplan, of Trout had been excellent it, it was hard to see anything other than a clear decision in favour of Lara and the judges all agree with that view. All the scores varied but they all got the right man.
Darren Barker v Felix Sturm
In probably the most disappointing title fight of the year Britain's Darren Barker (26-2, 16) effectively gave up his IBF Middleweight title as he was stopped by Germany's Felix Sturm (39-3-2, 18).
Sturm started fast winning the opening round with his work rate. Although Barker fired back it was obvious that Barker's game plan wasn't right and rather than boxing and moving he tried to trade with Sturm getting rocked later in the same round.
Barker tried to fight back more so in round 2 and started fast. Sadly it didn't take Sturm long to hurt him and this time Barker was sent down. It was obvious from the way that Barker got up that he wasn't fine and soon afterwards he was sent down again. This time Barker showed his agony and despite getting up it seemed it was only a matter of time.
With Sturm on the offensive again, just moments after the knockdown, Barker's corner threw in the towel. I'm afraid that to for a world champion to go out like this is a disappointment. Barker can blame his him problems, he can blame anything but at the end of the day he used the wrong tactics and was punished.
Although Barker was diagnosed with a hip injury I can't say I'm looking forward to watching the rest of his career after this.
Sturm started fast winning the opening round with his work rate. Although Barker fired back it was obvious that Barker's game plan wasn't right and rather than boxing and moving he tried to trade with Sturm getting rocked later in the same round.
Barker tried to fight back more so in round 2 and started fast. Sadly it didn't take Sturm long to hurt him and this time Barker was sent down. It was obvious from the way that Barker got up that he wasn't fine and soon afterwards he was sent down again. This time Barker showed his agony and despite getting up it seemed it was only a matter of time.
With Sturm on the offensive again, just moments after the knockdown, Barker's corner threw in the towel. I'm afraid that to for a world champion to go out like this is a disappointment. Barker can blame his him problems, he can blame anything but at the end of the day he used the wrong tactics and was punished.
Although Barker was diagnosed with a hip injury I can't say I'm looking forward to watching the rest of his career after this.
Saturday, 2 November 2013
Gennady Golovkin v Curtis Stevens
Some fights look like real mismatches on paper and this weekends biggest fight was one such bout as Kazakhstan's Gennady Golovkin (28-0, 25) entered as an 11-1 favourite against American Curtis Stevens (25-4, 18). Surprisingly however Golovkin didn't often look like such a big favourite through out the bout as he struggled to live up to the hype, despite successfully defending his WBA Middleweight title.
The fight started in a very quiet manner. Golovkin tried to get his jab going but Stevens was showing good defensive skills and making the champion struggle to land cleanly. The quiet 2 minutes 30 seconds of the first was only really changed late in the round as Stevens connected with a few hard shots that may have stole him in round.
Golovkin's struggles continued through much of the second round as Stevens covered up well and gave very few opportunities to the champion. The success of Stevens in neutralising Golovkin raised a "USA" chant from the Madison Square Garden crowd though unfortunately this immediately backfired as Golovkin connected with a glancing left hook followed by a solid left hook that dropped Stevens for an 8 count. It was obvious from this point that Golovkin's power could hurt and drop Stevens.
Unfortunately the knockdown seemed to kill off what confidence Stevens was building and the challenger fought very much like a scared fighter in the following round backing up, covering up and trying to survive. This saw Stevens having some success in little bursts on the counter but on the whole Stevens's success in round 3 was very limited.
Despite beginning to look like a beaten man in round 3 Stevens had his best round in the fourth as he landed several hard counters and backed up Golovkin late in the round. It appeared that Stevens had forgotten about the knockdown and thought his best tactic was fighting off the ropes looking to land his highly regarded left hook. Unfortunately when Stevens did land the best he did was force Golovkin backwards for a few seconds before he came right back Stevens.
Golovkin started to have more and more success from round 5 onwards. He seemed confident in his ability to take Steven's best shots and applied constant calculated pressure. The champions successes were still somewhat limited but the challenger was doing next to nothing to make a claim for the rounds. Stevens was doing so little that he was being out worked even if Golovkin was struggling to land too many clean shots.
The success of round 5 grew the following round and then again in round 7. Steven's corner were trying to buoy their man and telling him to stand toe-to-toe with Golovkin, unfortunately when he did this he was forced on to the back foot with Golovkin's crisp punches forcing him back on to the ropes. By the end of round 7 it appeared that Stevens's only hope was to land a knock out punch, something that was becoming less and less likely.
By the start of round 8 Golovkin had really started to take over. Stevens's assaults were becoming less frequent and through the eighth Golovkin himself had started to find his range, especially with his body shots which landed numerous times through the round. Stevens's defenses, whilst still solid were beginning to be cracked more and more frequently by Golovkin who finally turned things up a gear and went for the kill.
Although Stevens managed to see out round 8 his corner had seen enough and immediately called for the referee to stop the bout. It hadn't been a real beating for their man but it appeared that he was on the verge of receiving one as Golovkin began to really show his class. The stoppage may feel to some as though Stevens quit though in all honesty it appears that his corner knew things were only going to get worse and saved their man from what could have been a career and health altering beat down. A wise move considering the way the bout had began to turn.
Although Golovkin hadn't looked like the 11 to 1 favourite for much of the bout he was safe money in the end.
The fight started in a very quiet manner. Golovkin tried to get his jab going but Stevens was showing good defensive skills and making the champion struggle to land cleanly. The quiet 2 minutes 30 seconds of the first was only really changed late in the round as Stevens connected with a few hard shots that may have stole him in round.
Golovkin's struggles continued through much of the second round as Stevens covered up well and gave very few opportunities to the champion. The success of Stevens in neutralising Golovkin raised a "USA" chant from the Madison Square Garden crowd though unfortunately this immediately backfired as Golovkin connected with a glancing left hook followed by a solid left hook that dropped Stevens for an 8 count. It was obvious from this point that Golovkin's power could hurt and drop Stevens.
Unfortunately the knockdown seemed to kill off what confidence Stevens was building and the challenger fought very much like a scared fighter in the following round backing up, covering up and trying to survive. This saw Stevens having some success in little bursts on the counter but on the whole Stevens's success in round 3 was very limited.
Despite beginning to look like a beaten man in round 3 Stevens had his best round in the fourth as he landed several hard counters and backed up Golovkin late in the round. It appeared that Stevens had forgotten about the knockdown and thought his best tactic was fighting off the ropes looking to land his highly regarded left hook. Unfortunately when Stevens did land the best he did was force Golovkin backwards for a few seconds before he came right back Stevens.
Golovkin started to have more and more success from round 5 onwards. He seemed confident in his ability to take Steven's best shots and applied constant calculated pressure. The champions successes were still somewhat limited but the challenger was doing next to nothing to make a claim for the rounds. Stevens was doing so little that he was being out worked even if Golovkin was struggling to land too many clean shots.
The success of round 5 grew the following round and then again in round 7. Steven's corner were trying to buoy their man and telling him to stand toe-to-toe with Golovkin, unfortunately when he did this he was forced on to the back foot with Golovkin's crisp punches forcing him back on to the ropes. By the end of round 7 it appeared that Stevens's only hope was to land a knock out punch, something that was becoming less and less likely.
By the start of round 8 Golovkin had really started to take over. Stevens's assaults were becoming less frequent and through the eighth Golovkin himself had started to find his range, especially with his body shots which landed numerous times through the round. Stevens's defenses, whilst still solid were beginning to be cracked more and more frequently by Golovkin who finally turned things up a gear and went for the kill.
Although Stevens managed to see out round 8 his corner had seen enough and immediately called for the referee to stop the bout. It hadn't been a real beating for their man but it appeared that he was on the verge of receiving one as Golovkin began to really show his class. The stoppage may feel to some as though Stevens quit though in all honesty it appears that his corner knew things were only going to get worse and saved their man from what could have been a career and health altering beat down. A wise move considering the way the bout had began to turn.
Although Golovkin hadn't looked like the 11 to 1 favourite for much of the bout he was safe money in the end.
Saturday, 26 October 2013
Peter Quillin v Gabriel Rosado
In the first of two world titles fights in the US Peter Quillin (30-0, 22) the WBO Middleweight champion, successfully retained his title via a TKO over the always game Gabriel Rosado (21-7-0-1, 13).
The opening round was somewhat cautious with both men looking to see what the other had. Although it was mostly quiet there was several punches from both men that caught the eye, most notably two stinging left hooks from Quillin one of which seemed to see Rosado's legs buckle.
For those expecting a firefight to break out early the second round was much like the first. Both guys remained patient, looking for a bomb with out leaving an opening for his opponent. The first real bombs landed came from Quillin with one about 2 minutes into the round sending Rosado down for the fights first knockdown.
Unfortunately the firefight didn't set off in round 3 either. The pace did pick up somewhat but neither man really landed too much clean as they each seemed to anticipate the other man's next move. Saying that however Quillin did land a monster counter late in the round that arguably stole him the round. The same patience was shown through much of round 4 though Quillin did land a nice flashy combo late on before Rosado fought back and rocked Quillin in the final seconds.
The late burst in round 4 from Rosado seemed to see him coming out for round 5 with some new found confidence. Strangely this confidence from Rosado seemed to spur him into show boating rather than trying to build on his success. The challenger did come forward though at times seemed too patient with his hands and when he did throw he seemed too predictable allowing Quillin to avoid many of his shots. By the end of the round it appeared that Quillin was back in to things taking advantage of the fact that Rosado was giving him opportunities rather than really taking it to Quillin.
Round 6 again saw Rosado on the front foot though his actual punch out put was still low. It seemed to be more than Quillin's but it was Quillin that was landing the more notable punches, often thrown as counters. Quillin continued to fight as a counter puncher through round 7 landing a notable counter early in the round as Rosado continued to press the action by following the champion. It was with Rosado following Quillin that the champion managed to land several hard uppercuts that really caught the eye. Although the round ended with Rosado cornering Quillin it looked like the champion was trying to lure the challenger on to another big shot.
By round 8 the fight had taken on a relatively repetitive pattern. Rosado would march forward, Quillin would try to counter and they'd end up throwing very little between them. Rosado did manage to have a bit more success but the fight had taken on the identity of something rather mundane. It seemed that although both men are dangerous fighters with solid power they at times didn't seem able to hurt the other. The action, what little their was, came in short bursts and their was never anything sustained. Despite the lack of hard action Rosado was cut badly over the left eye in round 9.
With Rosado's eye a bloody mess he left a giant bulls eye for Quillin to attack, something he did very early in the tenth round bursting it wider. This saw the referee calling in the doctor who, despite Rosado's appeals, called the fight off awarding Quillin a TKO in a very anti-climatic ending to a very disappointing contest.
On the back of this, it's fair to say that the demand for Quillin/Golovkin has actually gone down. Quillin failed to impress and looked very much like a B rate champion here.
The opening round was somewhat cautious with both men looking to see what the other had. Although it was mostly quiet there was several punches from both men that caught the eye, most notably two stinging left hooks from Quillin one of which seemed to see Rosado's legs buckle.
For those expecting a firefight to break out early the second round was much like the first. Both guys remained patient, looking for a bomb with out leaving an opening for his opponent. The first real bombs landed came from Quillin with one about 2 minutes into the round sending Rosado down for the fights first knockdown.
Unfortunately the firefight didn't set off in round 3 either. The pace did pick up somewhat but neither man really landed too much clean as they each seemed to anticipate the other man's next move. Saying that however Quillin did land a monster counter late in the round that arguably stole him the round. The same patience was shown through much of round 4 though Quillin did land a nice flashy combo late on before Rosado fought back and rocked Quillin in the final seconds.
The late burst in round 4 from Rosado seemed to see him coming out for round 5 with some new found confidence. Strangely this confidence from Rosado seemed to spur him into show boating rather than trying to build on his success. The challenger did come forward though at times seemed too patient with his hands and when he did throw he seemed too predictable allowing Quillin to avoid many of his shots. By the end of the round it appeared that Quillin was back in to things taking advantage of the fact that Rosado was giving him opportunities rather than really taking it to Quillin.
Round 6 again saw Rosado on the front foot though his actual punch out put was still low. It seemed to be more than Quillin's but it was Quillin that was landing the more notable punches, often thrown as counters. Quillin continued to fight as a counter puncher through round 7 landing a notable counter early in the round as Rosado continued to press the action by following the champion. It was with Rosado following Quillin that the champion managed to land several hard uppercuts that really caught the eye. Although the round ended with Rosado cornering Quillin it looked like the champion was trying to lure the challenger on to another big shot.
By round 8 the fight had taken on a relatively repetitive pattern. Rosado would march forward, Quillin would try to counter and they'd end up throwing very little between them. Rosado did manage to have a bit more success but the fight had taken on the identity of something rather mundane. It seemed that although both men are dangerous fighters with solid power they at times didn't seem able to hurt the other. The action, what little their was, came in short bursts and their was never anything sustained. Despite the lack of hard action Rosado was cut badly over the left eye in round 9.
With Rosado's eye a bloody mess he left a giant bulls eye for Quillin to attack, something he did very early in the tenth round bursting it wider. This saw the referee calling in the doctor who, despite Rosado's appeals, called the fight off awarding Quillin a TKO in a very anti-climatic ending to a very disappointing contest.
On the back of this, it's fair to say that the demand for Quillin/Golovkin has actually gone down. Quillin failed to impress and looked very much like a B rate champion here.
Saturday, 17 August 2013
Daniel Geale v Darren Barker
In a second successive upset at the Revel Resort, Atlantic City Darren Barker (26-1, 16) claimed a close split decision to take the IBF Middleweight title from Australian Daniel Geale (29-2, 15) in an enthralling and very difficult to score 12 round contest.
The fight started at an amazing pace with both men standing close and trading attacks, Geale, known for his work rate appeared to be his usual busy self but Barker seemed to be just as confident in his stamina and matched Geale almost punch for punch in a great round. The round really could have gone either way and it was one of a number of swing rounds the fight saw as the men refused to let the other really take any advantage, however Barker did land a low one on the bell to end round 2.
The first clear round was the third a round won by Barker thanks to his excellent crisp shots that seemed to rattle Geale at several points. The Aussie tried to fight back but for the first time he was unable to really answer the firepower of the Englishman.
Although Barker had claimed the third Geale appeared to bounce back excellently and took the fourth round as he stepped up his work rate and tried to show Barker that HE was the champion and he wouldn't give up his title with out a fight. It was by the end of this round that both guys were showing signs of having been in a fight with their left eyes reddening from the shots they had each landed. The eyes only got worse through round 5 as they again fought a very tight round that saw Geale landing a low blow that appeared to be a revenge shot for the one Barker hand landed on him
If round 3 was the first clear round then round 6 was the clearest round as Geale dropped Barker hard from a body shot that he only just managed to get up from. The shot, an absolute beauty, would have finished off most men but Barker found a way to will himself to his feet and despite taking a shellacking for a good portion of the round he managed to turn things around late to prove there was still plenty of fight in him.
Following the body shot in the sixth Geale appeared to target the mid section again in round 7 though it was Barker who landed the notable shots and by the end of it Geale's trademark work rate appeared to have deserted with Barker actually having the much better round of the two fighters
The work rate of Geale did return in roudn 8 though only in the first minute or so before Barker came back and possibly stole the round in another of the fights many swing rounds. Unfortunately for Barker it seemed like round 9 was a solid Gale round although Barker did himself land some solid shots it was hard to award him the round as he looked sluggish and tired for the first time.
Barker seemed to bounce back well in round 10 as Geale began to look tired and although neither man appeared able to really hurt the other neither man seemed to be able to really great a gap in the scoring due to close nature of the rounds and the fact that every time one guy won one cleanly the other seemed to take the next.
Going in to the championship rounds it was really anyone's fight due to the close nature of so many rounds. Unfortunately for Geale however he was looking worse for wear not just facially with his lip being swollen but also physically with his work rate dropping dramatically. Geale tried to force himself to battle hard against Barker in the later rounds but amazing Barker fought back even hard and appeared to take round 11.
Having lost the 11 Geale managed to fight back harder in the 12 and probably just took that to even out the score from the previous round.
With so many tight rounds any result was fair and whilst I had the bout a victory to the champion (115-112) the judges felt that Barker had done enough to deserve a split decision with scores of 114-113 each way and an oddly wide card of 116-111 to Barker. I understand there were plenty of swing rounds but 116-111 either way seems unfair to the loser of a great fight.
If anything has come from this, one of the best fights of the year, it's that a rematch should take place as it would be a bit hit with the fans and the fighters as well as HBO
The fight started at an amazing pace with both men standing close and trading attacks, Geale, known for his work rate appeared to be his usual busy self but Barker seemed to be just as confident in his stamina and matched Geale almost punch for punch in a great round. The round really could have gone either way and it was one of a number of swing rounds the fight saw as the men refused to let the other really take any advantage, however Barker did land a low one on the bell to end round 2.
The first clear round was the third a round won by Barker thanks to his excellent crisp shots that seemed to rattle Geale at several points. The Aussie tried to fight back but for the first time he was unable to really answer the firepower of the Englishman.
Although Barker had claimed the third Geale appeared to bounce back excellently and took the fourth round as he stepped up his work rate and tried to show Barker that HE was the champion and he wouldn't give up his title with out a fight. It was by the end of this round that both guys were showing signs of having been in a fight with their left eyes reddening from the shots they had each landed. The eyes only got worse through round 5 as they again fought a very tight round that saw Geale landing a low blow that appeared to be a revenge shot for the one Barker hand landed on him
If round 3 was the first clear round then round 6 was the clearest round as Geale dropped Barker hard from a body shot that he only just managed to get up from. The shot, an absolute beauty, would have finished off most men but Barker found a way to will himself to his feet and despite taking a shellacking for a good portion of the round he managed to turn things around late to prove there was still plenty of fight in him.
Following the body shot in the sixth Geale appeared to target the mid section again in round 7 though it was Barker who landed the notable shots and by the end of it Geale's trademark work rate appeared to have deserted with Barker actually having the much better round of the two fighters
The work rate of Geale did return in roudn 8 though only in the first minute or so before Barker came back and possibly stole the round in another of the fights many swing rounds. Unfortunately for Barker it seemed like round 9 was a solid Gale round although Barker did himself land some solid shots it was hard to award him the round as he looked sluggish and tired for the first time.
Barker seemed to bounce back well in round 10 as Geale began to look tired and although neither man appeared able to really hurt the other neither man seemed to be able to really great a gap in the scoring due to close nature of the rounds and the fact that every time one guy won one cleanly the other seemed to take the next.
Going in to the championship rounds it was really anyone's fight due to the close nature of so many rounds. Unfortunately for Geale however he was looking worse for wear not just facially with his lip being swollen but also physically with his work rate dropping dramatically. Geale tried to force himself to battle hard against Barker in the later rounds but amazing Barker fought back even hard and appeared to take round 11.
Having lost the 11 Geale managed to fight back harder in the 12 and probably just took that to even out the score from the previous round.
With so many tight rounds any result was fair and whilst I had the bout a victory to the champion (115-112) the judges felt that Barker had done enough to deserve a split decision with scores of 114-113 each way and an oddly wide card of 116-111 to Barker. I understand there were plenty of swing rounds but 116-111 either way seems unfair to the loser of a great fight.
If anything has come from this, one of the best fights of the year, it's that a rematch should take place as it would be a bit hit with the fans and the fighters as well as HBO
Saturday, 29 June 2013
Gennady Golovkin v Matthew Macklin
WBA Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (27-0, 24) was expected to be given his first real test by Britain's Matthew Macklin (29-5, 20) instead however Golovkin merely showcased his talents in yet another impressive performance.
For the first 30 seconds of the bout Macklin had some success with his jab though it didn't take long for Golovkin to realise that Macklin had nothing to be afraid off and started to stalk with bad intentions. The champion was cutting the ring off perfectly it was obvious by the end of the round that Macklin's confidence was completely gone.
In round 2 Golovkin started to let his hands go a bit more and appeared to hurt Macklin almost immediately. Everything that Golovkin landed appeared to hurt Macklin even the jabs were sending the challenger backwards and in fact Macklin appeared to be holding more often than punching as he merely tried to survive. Of the few punches that Macklin did throw here and there he did get through with a number of them, including a right hand that just bounced off the head of Golovkin with no effect.
With Macklin realising that plan was using wasn't working he switched to "Plan B" and showed some genuine offense, this turned out be a bad move as he was caught by a counter himself. Just a few seconds later the Brit was on the ropes and forced to take an hellacious body shot that sent him down for the count.
For Macklin it wasn't 3rd time lucky though as he admitted himself Golovkin was the best fighter he had ever faced-there's no shame in losing to the best. Another chance for Macklin may appear down the line and he may stand a chance but his agony should serve as a serious reminder to the division of just how hurtful and spiteful Golovkin's shots are.
Golovkin, who many felt had been picking on 154lb fighters has again shown that he can do what wants in the ring and that he can take opponents out with relative ease to either the head or body. Whilst it's obvious that he wants a fight with Sergio Martinez, it's hard to imagine that bout actually happening and that Martinez would be more likely to retire rather than get in the ring with "GGG"
For the first 30 seconds of the bout Macklin had some success with his jab though it didn't take long for Golovkin to realise that Macklin had nothing to be afraid off and started to stalk with bad intentions. The champion was cutting the ring off perfectly it was obvious by the end of the round that Macklin's confidence was completely gone.
In round 2 Golovkin started to let his hands go a bit more and appeared to hurt Macklin almost immediately. Everything that Golovkin landed appeared to hurt Macklin even the jabs were sending the challenger backwards and in fact Macklin appeared to be holding more often than punching as he merely tried to survive. Of the few punches that Macklin did throw here and there he did get through with a number of them, including a right hand that just bounced off the head of Golovkin with no effect.
With Macklin realising that plan was using wasn't working he switched to "Plan B" and showed some genuine offense, this turned out be a bad move as he was caught by a counter himself. Just a few seconds later the Brit was on the ropes and forced to take an hellacious body shot that sent him down for the count.
For Macklin it wasn't 3rd time lucky though as he admitted himself Golovkin was the best fighter he had ever faced-there's no shame in losing to the best. Another chance for Macklin may appear down the line and he may stand a chance but his agony should serve as a serious reminder to the division of just how hurtful and spiteful Golovkin's shots are.
Golovkin, who many felt had been picking on 154lb fighters has again shown that he can do what wants in the ring and that he can take opponents out with relative ease to either the head or body. Whilst it's obvious that he wants a fight with Sergio Martinez, it's hard to imagine that bout actually happening and that Martinez would be more likely to retire rather than get in the ring with "GGG"
Monday, 29 April 2013
Peter Quillin v Fernando Guerrero
WBO Middleweight Peter Quillin (29-0, 21) made the first defense of his title this past weekend as he showed off his impressive power and stopped the over-matched Fernando Guerrero (25-2, 19) who was found seriously lacking.
The bout, a mismatch at the bookies (where Quillin was prohibitively priced at around 1/12) proved to be just as much of a mismatch in the ring as Guerrero was unable to cope with his hard hitting rival.
The jab of the champion was impressive early as he steadied the challenger with it before dropping him twice in round 2 as he effectively showed that Guerrero was unable to cope with is power (something many had suggested prior to the fight).
Although Guerrero proved his heart following the early knockdowns as he brought the fight to Quillin it really was just a matter of time before the stronger and more powerful man was going to take him down again. Sadly for Guerrero that's exactly what happened in the 7th round when Guerrero was again dropped twice before being stopped.
It now appears that Quillin will be fed weak opponents on Showtime due to his deal with Golden Boy Promotions whilst the likes of Sergio Martinez, Gennady Golovkin and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr are likely to remain on HBO with none of them likely to meet this year.
The bout, a mismatch at the bookies (where Quillin was prohibitively priced at around 1/12) proved to be just as much of a mismatch in the ring as Guerrero was unable to cope with his hard hitting rival.
The jab of the champion was impressive early as he steadied the challenger with it before dropping him twice in round 2 as he effectively showed that Guerrero was unable to cope with is power (something many had suggested prior to the fight).
Although Guerrero proved his heart following the early knockdowns as he brought the fight to Quillin it really was just a matter of time before the stronger and more powerful man was going to take him down again. Sadly for Guerrero that's exactly what happened in the 7th round when Guerrero was again dropped twice before being stopped.
It now appears that Quillin will be fed weak opponents on Showtime due to his deal with Golden Boy Promotions whilst the likes of Sergio Martinez, Gennady Golovkin and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr are likely to remain on HBO with none of them likely to meet this year.
Saturday, 27 April 2013
Sergio Gabriel Martinez v Martin Murray
On paper this was a mismatch. One of the pound-for-pound best in the world, Sergio Gabriel Martinez (51-2-2, 28) was facing the relatively unknown Martin Murray (25-1-1, 11) who although being the WBA "interim" Middleweight champion was relatively unknown on the international stage. Paper however doesn't have fights for us and instead we ended up with an enthralling and very evenly matched bout that saw neither man manage to enforce themselves for more than just a few rounds at a time.
The bout started slowly, with Murray using a high guard and blocking much of Martinez's attacks. Although Murray was defensively sound early on he really didn't through too much and was clearly behind on all 3 of the official cards at the 4 round point (which we knew due to the controversial open scoring that was in effect).
Following the slow start for Murray he started to let his hands go more and more through the middle rounds and found a home for his right hand which connected with an alarming success rate. The right hand and even the left hooks started to really make a dent in Martinez who was forced to feel the weight on Murray's shots and they appeared to shake him up several times before dropping him in round 7 as Murray started to overturn the early deficit on the cards.
Despite his excellent charge through the middle section of the fight Murray was still behind on the official cards by scores of 77-74 and 76-75 (twice). Unlike the score cards in the recent Austin Tout v Saul "Canelo" Alvarez fight knowing the scores here did somewhat reflect the bout and seemed to spur on the fighter who was behind, despite the fact he had a very quiet round 9.
In round 10 Martinez appeared to be dropped though the referee ruled it a slip, a call that would effectively cost Murray a 3-point swing in the round. Sadly for Murray he couldn't drop Martinez again in the final 2 rounds despite trying most notably in round 12. Had he done saw he may have managed to dethrone Martinez of the Middleweight crown, instead Martinez managed to retain his WBC title.
With a slippy canvas perhaps fighting in an outdoor arena with rain blowing on to the ring helped Murray though in all honesty Martinez, aged 38, appears to be at the end of the line. Murray put on a good performance don't get me wrong, but Martinez didn't look like the man who dominated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr for 11 rounds, he instead looked like an old man.
For Murray this was his gateway to bigger fights. Sure he may have lost but he has shown himself capable enough of mixing it with the best. As the WBA "interim" champion he really should be looking forward to the winner of the upcoming Gennady Golovkin v Matthew Macklin bout with the winner, the "WBA Regular" champion being the most obvious opponent for Murray.
The bout started slowly, with Murray using a high guard and blocking much of Martinez's attacks. Although Murray was defensively sound early on he really didn't through too much and was clearly behind on all 3 of the official cards at the 4 round point (which we knew due to the controversial open scoring that was in effect).
Following the slow start for Murray he started to let his hands go more and more through the middle rounds and found a home for his right hand which connected with an alarming success rate. The right hand and even the left hooks started to really make a dent in Martinez who was forced to feel the weight on Murray's shots and they appeared to shake him up several times before dropping him in round 7 as Murray started to overturn the early deficit on the cards.
Despite his excellent charge through the middle section of the fight Murray was still behind on the official cards by scores of 77-74 and 76-75 (twice). Unlike the score cards in the recent Austin Tout v Saul "Canelo" Alvarez fight knowing the scores here did somewhat reflect the bout and seemed to spur on the fighter who was behind, despite the fact he had a very quiet round 9.
In round 10 Martinez appeared to be dropped though the referee ruled it a slip, a call that would effectively cost Murray a 3-point swing in the round. Sadly for Murray he couldn't drop Martinez again in the final 2 rounds despite trying most notably in round 12. Had he done saw he may have managed to dethrone Martinez of the Middleweight crown, instead Martinez managed to retain his WBC title.
With a slippy canvas perhaps fighting in an outdoor arena with rain blowing on to the ring helped Murray though in all honesty Martinez, aged 38, appears to be at the end of the line. Murray put on a good performance don't get me wrong, but Martinez didn't look like the man who dominated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr for 11 rounds, he instead looked like an old man.
For Murray this was his gateway to bigger fights. Sure he may have lost but he has shown himself capable enough of mixing it with the best. As the WBA "interim" champion he really should be looking forward to the winner of the upcoming Gennady Golovkin v Matthew Macklin bout with the winner, the "WBA Regular" champion being the most obvious opponent for Murray.
Saturday, 30 March 2013
Gennady Golovkin v Nobuhiro Ishida
WBA and IBO Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (26-0, 23) once again showed why he is so highly spoken about in boxing circles as he stopped Japanese challenger Nobuhiro Ishida (24-9-2, 9) in chilling fashion.
The opening round was somewhat even as Ishida showed his bravery and even seemed to be willing to trade jabs at times with the champion. Although Ishida showed his bravery through the round he clearly lost it and in all honesty it was little a round that Golovkin fought in first gear.
Golovkin started to open up in round 2 as he hurt Ishida for the first time and started to land almost anything he wanted. There was hooks, jabs, straights and uppercuts all from the champion who managed to snap back the head of Ishida time and time again. Although Ishida had been hurt he was never really in any great trouble as he showed solid durability.
It appeared at the end of round 2 that Golovkin was going through the gears and it seemed that he went up a gear or two to start round 3. Although Ishida landed what looked like a monster right hand of his own Golovkin all but walked through it and landed a huge sweeping hook soon afterwards as he started to force Ishida on to the back foot. Sadly for Ishida fighting on the back foot did him few favours and he was forced to take a massive right hand that sent him through the bottom ropes and to canvas in eye catching fashion.
Hopefully for Golovkin he'll return to the ring in just a few months against a more notable opponent than Ishida though after this performance I can't imagine many wanting to get in the ring with him. For Ishida however this result likely ends his run of high profile bouts (which has seen him facing James Kirkland, Paul Williams, Dmitry Pirog and now Golvokin).
The opening round was somewhat even as Ishida showed his bravery and even seemed to be willing to trade jabs at times with the champion. Although Ishida showed his bravery through the round he clearly lost it and in all honesty it was little a round that Golovkin fought in first gear.
Golovkin started to open up in round 2 as he hurt Ishida for the first time and started to land almost anything he wanted. There was hooks, jabs, straights and uppercuts all from the champion who managed to snap back the head of Ishida time and time again. Although Ishida had been hurt he was never really in any great trouble as he showed solid durability.
It appeared at the end of round 2 that Golovkin was going through the gears and it seemed that he went up a gear or two to start round 3. Although Ishida landed what looked like a monster right hand of his own Golovkin all but walked through it and landed a huge sweeping hook soon afterwards as he started to force Ishida on to the back foot. Sadly for Ishida fighting on the back foot did him few favours and he was forced to take a massive right hand that sent him through the bottom ropes and to canvas in eye catching fashion.
Hopefully for Golovkin he'll return to the ring in just a few months against a more notable opponent than Ishida though after this performance I can't imagine many wanting to get in the ring with him. For Ishida however this result likely ends his run of high profile bouts (which has seen him facing James Kirkland, Paul Williams, Dmitry Pirog and now Golvokin).
Wednesday, 30 January 2013
Daniel Geale v Anthony Mundine II
After the frankly laughable co-main event between Kimbo Slice and Shane Tilyard (trust me, watch it just two laugh at the fight) Australian boxing fans finally got a real fight as IBF Middleweight champion Daniel "The Real Deal" Geale (29-1, 15) defended his world title with a dominant victory over compatriot Anthony "The Man" Mundine (44-5, 26) in a long awaited rematch.
The opening round started slowly with the first minute or so spent feeling each other out before Geale started to step on the gas and just do enough to out work and out land his challenger. The openin round was arguably the closest in the fight as Geale started to go through the gears and assert himself with his speed, work rate and skill making Mundine look like an old clumsy man. Geale was managing to get in and out with his blows whilst making Mundine miss time and time again. In fact for much of the fight Mundine's only successes came in single jabs that Geale walked through.
By the mid point of the fight it was easy to see how Geale could have been 6-0, he was just simply doing everything to win the rounds. If wasn't 6-0 to Geale it was certainly no worse than 5-1 to the champion.
Mundine managed to fight back well in the second half of the fight arguably claiming round 7 and 8 which were again closer rounds as Mundine was forced to change his game plan as desperation started to set in. Despite being competitive in those rounds it was merely that Mundine was competitive enough to make the rounds close enough to give him a share as opposed to winning the rounds.
Despite Mundine having a couple of competitive rounds Geale started to step up a gear in the later rounds as he thoroughly dominated the final rounds with Mundine needing a knockout. Whilst the champion twice slipped to the canvas he was never under any serious threat from Mundine who's shots looked weak and were walked through time and time again.
The fight, fought in a competitive spirit, did see a number of fouls, including elbows and use of the head by Mundine which he was warned for though sadly it was Mundines actions after the fight that really left a bad taste as Mundine celebrated as if he'd won. In fact Mundine seemed to suggest that a loss for him would have been a robbery when instead he'd been thoroughly out classed.
Despite what appeared to be a 1-sided contest the score cards took a very long time to get tallied up before finally Geale was announced the winner by unanimous decision by scores of 116-112 (far too close and 117-111 (twice).
For Mundine this is probably the end of the line, though Geale will be waiting for the result of the upcoming Sturm v Soliman fight to find out about his next mandatory defence.
The opening round started slowly with the first minute or so spent feeling each other out before Geale started to step on the gas and just do enough to out work and out land his challenger. The openin round was arguably the closest in the fight as Geale started to go through the gears and assert himself with his speed, work rate and skill making Mundine look like an old clumsy man. Geale was managing to get in and out with his blows whilst making Mundine miss time and time again. In fact for much of the fight Mundine's only successes came in single jabs that Geale walked through.
By the mid point of the fight it was easy to see how Geale could have been 6-0, he was just simply doing everything to win the rounds. If wasn't 6-0 to Geale it was certainly no worse than 5-1 to the champion.
Mundine managed to fight back well in the second half of the fight arguably claiming round 7 and 8 which were again closer rounds as Mundine was forced to change his game plan as desperation started to set in. Despite being competitive in those rounds it was merely that Mundine was competitive enough to make the rounds close enough to give him a share as opposed to winning the rounds.
Despite Mundine having a couple of competitive rounds Geale started to step up a gear in the later rounds as he thoroughly dominated the final rounds with Mundine needing a knockout. Whilst the champion twice slipped to the canvas he was never under any serious threat from Mundine who's shots looked weak and were walked through time and time again.
The fight, fought in a competitive spirit, did see a number of fouls, including elbows and use of the head by Mundine which he was warned for though sadly it was Mundines actions after the fight that really left a bad taste as Mundine celebrated as if he'd won. In fact Mundine seemed to suggest that a loss for him would have been a robbery when instead he'd been thoroughly out classed.
Despite what appeared to be a 1-sided contest the score cards took a very long time to get tallied up before finally Geale was announced the winner by unanimous decision by scores of 116-112 (far too close and 117-111 (twice).
For Mundine this is probably the end of the line, though Geale will be waiting for the result of the upcoming Sturm v Soliman fight to find out about his next mandatory defence.
Saturday, 19 January 2013
Gennady Golovkin v Gabriel Rosado
WBA Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (25-0, 22) was successful in his second bout on US soil as he defeated the incredibly brave Gabriel Rosado (21-6, 13) when Rosado's trainer called for the inspector to stop the fight with Rosado starting to take a bit of a beating.
The first round was incredibly quiet as Golovkin stalked Rosado with a huge amount of pressure though sadly little was landed by either man as Rosado used his legs to stay out of Golovkin's range. This same pattern continued through the second round, though Golovkin did have some notable success in the second with a jab that cut Rosado near the left eye.
Rosado started round 3 with his first major success of the fight as he came forward and had 90 seconds of genuine success as he forced Golovkin on to the back foot. Sadly for Rosado his success came at a cost as Golovkin unleashed on him late in the round as he started to land his own power shots, one of which seemed to really rock Rosado. By the end of the round Rosado's cut was starting to look worse as Golovkin's power started to really take it's toll on Rosado's flesh.
Sadly for Rosado it seemed that no matter what he did Golovkin just took, especially in round 4, when he landed a huge right hand and in round 5 where Rosado seemed to realise he had to try and fight Golovkin off him. Sadly when you try to fight Golovkin off you merely seem to piss him off. By the end of the fifth Rosado's nose was bloody, his face was filling into a bloody mess. Through the sixth round Golovkin really went to town and rocked Rosado with a body shot before further worsening the cuts that the Dr had looked at at the start of the round.
By now it was obvious that Rosado wasn't going going to quit, though unfortunately for him he was simply out gunned and took a real beating in the seventh round that eventually caused his corner to throw in the towel to save their man any further punishment. By now Rosado was running on fumes and giving little more than a blood donation to all at ringside.
As a class act by Golovkin, the champion did invite Rosado to his gym to train in the future, and it sees a mutual bond between the two was formed as both seemed highly complimentary of the other.
The first round was incredibly quiet as Golovkin stalked Rosado with a huge amount of pressure though sadly little was landed by either man as Rosado used his legs to stay out of Golovkin's range. This same pattern continued through the second round, though Golovkin did have some notable success in the second with a jab that cut Rosado near the left eye.
Rosado started round 3 with his first major success of the fight as he came forward and had 90 seconds of genuine success as he forced Golovkin on to the back foot. Sadly for Rosado his success came at a cost as Golovkin unleashed on him late in the round as he started to land his own power shots, one of which seemed to really rock Rosado. By the end of the round Rosado's cut was starting to look worse as Golovkin's power started to really take it's toll on Rosado's flesh.
Sadly for Rosado it seemed that no matter what he did Golovkin just took, especially in round 4, when he landed a huge right hand and in round 5 where Rosado seemed to realise he had to try and fight Golovkin off him. Sadly when you try to fight Golovkin off you merely seem to piss him off. By the end of the fifth Rosado's nose was bloody, his face was filling into a bloody mess. Through the sixth round Golovkin really went to town and rocked Rosado with a body shot before further worsening the cuts that the Dr had looked at at the start of the round.
By now it was obvious that Rosado wasn't going going to quit, though unfortunately for him he was simply out gunned and took a real beating in the seventh round that eventually caused his corner to throw in the towel to save their man any further punishment. By now Rosado was running on fumes and giving little more than a blood donation to all at ringside.
As a class act by Golovkin, the champion did invite Rosado to his gym to train in the future, and it sees a mutual bond between the two was formed as both seemed highly complimentary of the other.
Sunday, 21 October 2012
Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam v Peter Quillin
American Peter Quillin (28-0, 20) successfully claimed the WBO Middleweight title after winning an interesting bout with French based-Cameroon born Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam (27-1, 17) in a bout that saw someone's 0 needing to go.
The bout started well for the defending champion who appeared to clearly take the opening 3 rounds with a combination of his fast, accurate hands and his excellent movement which at times left Quillin looking clueless. In round 4 however Quillin had his first real moments of success as he tagged N'Dam for the first time before twice dropping N'Dam N'Jikam to score a 10-7 round and bring the scores level on my card at 37-37. At this point it seemed clear that Quillin was going to stop N'Dam N'Jikam.
Following the excellent 4th round for Quillin it was surprising to see him give away the initiative the following round as N'Dam N'Jikam was allowed to recover his legs and regain the lead on my card. Quillin didn't once try to force the issue and although he stalked his man he simply refused to let his hands go enough to take advantage of a still shaken N'Dam N'Jikam.
Amazingly despite giving away round 5, Quillin came out in round 6 with bad intentions and again dropped N'Dam N'Jikam twice to claim a second 10-7 round. This round also saw Quillin inflicting a nasty looking cut over his opponents eye and once again it appeared as if Quillin was heading towards a clear stoppage win. N'Dam N'Jikam was really looking hurt when he was tagged and on a number of occasions appeared done though showed amazing heart and fantastic recuperative ability.
Shockingly in round 7 Quillin again allowed N'Dam N'Jikam off the hook and instead of going in for the kill he sat on the ropes and allowed N'Dam N'Jikam to out work him and re-establish himself. It was bizarre that Quillin didn't try and finish off his man whilst he was still hurt for a second time and instead allowed N'Dam N'Jikam to claim the round with real ease.
N'Dam N'Jikam built on his success from round 7 and appeared to sweep rounds 9-11 with his superior work rate nd actually appeared to hurt Quillin at several points as some thought he may just have sneaked into the lead. Sadly for N'Dam however his fate was sealed in the last 30 seconds of the bout as Quillin dropped him twice to claim a third 10-7 round and also claim a very narrow win.
Despite only clearly winning 3 rounds Quillin's power had been the difference between the two men as those 3 10-7 rounds were the difference between winning and losing on my card. Sadly however the official judges (who all posted cards of 115-107) appeared to have failed to credit N'Dam N'Jikam for his success, and scoring the bout 7-5 in favour of Quillin was a joke. No argument with Quillin winning, the knockdowns secured him the win, but giving Quillin 7 rounds is a real, real travesty.
The bout started well for the defending champion who appeared to clearly take the opening 3 rounds with a combination of his fast, accurate hands and his excellent movement which at times left Quillin looking clueless. In round 4 however Quillin had his first real moments of success as he tagged N'Dam for the first time before twice dropping N'Dam N'Jikam to score a 10-7 round and bring the scores level on my card at 37-37. At this point it seemed clear that Quillin was going to stop N'Dam N'Jikam.
Following the excellent 4th round for Quillin it was surprising to see him give away the initiative the following round as N'Dam N'Jikam was allowed to recover his legs and regain the lead on my card. Quillin didn't once try to force the issue and although he stalked his man he simply refused to let his hands go enough to take advantage of a still shaken N'Dam N'Jikam.
Amazingly despite giving away round 5, Quillin came out in round 6 with bad intentions and again dropped N'Dam N'Jikam twice to claim a second 10-7 round. This round also saw Quillin inflicting a nasty looking cut over his opponents eye and once again it appeared as if Quillin was heading towards a clear stoppage win. N'Dam N'Jikam was really looking hurt when he was tagged and on a number of occasions appeared done though showed amazing heart and fantastic recuperative ability.
Shockingly in round 7 Quillin again allowed N'Dam N'Jikam off the hook and instead of going in for the kill he sat on the ropes and allowed N'Dam N'Jikam to out work him and re-establish himself. It was bizarre that Quillin didn't try and finish off his man whilst he was still hurt for a second time and instead allowed N'Dam N'Jikam to claim the round with real ease.
N'Dam N'Jikam built on his success from round 7 and appeared to sweep rounds 9-11 with his superior work rate nd actually appeared to hurt Quillin at several points as some thought he may just have sneaked into the lead. Sadly for N'Dam however his fate was sealed in the last 30 seconds of the bout as Quillin dropped him twice to claim a third 10-7 round and also claim a very narrow win.
Despite only clearly winning 3 rounds Quillin's power had been the difference between the two men as those 3 10-7 rounds were the difference between winning and losing on my card. Sadly however the official judges (who all posted cards of 115-107) appeared to have failed to credit N'Dam N'Jikam for his success, and scoring the bout 7-5 in favour of Quillin was a joke. No argument with Quillin winning, the knockdowns secured him the win, but giving Quillin 7 rounds is a real, real travesty.
Saturday, 15 September 2012
Sergio Martinez v Julio Cesar Chavez Jr
Sergio Gabriel Martinez (50-2-2, 28) proved he was the Middleweight champion of the world as he reclaimed the WBC Middleweight title and thoroughly dominated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (46-1-1-1, 32) despite a late scare.
The bout started slowly with a clear feeling out round as Martinez boxed on the outside landing jab after jab against Chavez who was stalking and looking to try and cut the distance. Though it was obvious from the early stages that Martinez was the much, much faster fighter with both his hands and feet.
In the the third round Chavez started to have some, though very limited, success as he managed to cut the distance, though it seemed that every time Chavez landed one or two Martinez would land 4 or 5 in return. By now it was becoming clear that Martinez was not only the more skilled of the two fighters but was also wanting to mentally break Chavez and he started to turn the screw over the following few rounds, even beating Chavez on the inside. By the end of the fourth Chavez's nose was bleeding and it was obvious that he was being hurt by the accurate stream of jabs by Martinez.
After Martinez had easily dominated both the 5th and 6th round it seemed as if Chavez was with out a plan. Chavez kept walking forward but threw nothing whilst Martinez danced around him, landing shot after shot. It appeared at the end of round 6 as if Chavez's nose had been broken and whilst he was showing real heart he was starting to take a real beating.
Suddenly in round 8 Chavez had one of his best rounds (which wasn't saying much up to this point) as he tagged Martinez with a solid shot that opened up a cut around the left eye of Martinez. Despite landing the solid punch Chavez was other-wise clearly outboxed as he fell yet further behind on the cards.
Going into round 11, it was a shut out and Freddie Roach, in Chavez's corner, knew his man was needing a knock out. Chavez attempted to go for the KO and seemed to hurt Martinez at one point before Martinez struck back shaking up Chavez in what, appeared at the time to be the round of the fight...then we got round 12.
With everyone knowing Chavez needed a knockout he really went for it and for the first time he really let his hands go, tagging Martinez clean on the chin a number of times before Martinez went down hard. It suddenly appeared as if history was going to repeat it's self and Chavez Jr was going to replicate what his dad did to Meldrick Taylor. Chavez went all out for the KO but failed to land the one extra shot he needed before Martinez recovered his senses and survived the rest of the round.
Whilst some may have been expecting some awful score cards in favour of Chavez, the judges did the right thing and all 3 of them had Martinez as a clear winner.
The bout started slowly with a clear feeling out round as Martinez boxed on the outside landing jab after jab against Chavez who was stalking and looking to try and cut the distance. Though it was obvious from the early stages that Martinez was the much, much faster fighter with both his hands and feet.
In the the third round Chavez started to have some, though very limited, success as he managed to cut the distance, though it seemed that every time Chavez landed one or two Martinez would land 4 or 5 in return. By now it was becoming clear that Martinez was not only the more skilled of the two fighters but was also wanting to mentally break Chavez and he started to turn the screw over the following few rounds, even beating Chavez on the inside. By the end of the fourth Chavez's nose was bleeding and it was obvious that he was being hurt by the accurate stream of jabs by Martinez.
After Martinez had easily dominated both the 5th and 6th round it seemed as if Chavez was with out a plan. Chavez kept walking forward but threw nothing whilst Martinez danced around him, landing shot after shot. It appeared at the end of round 6 as if Chavez's nose had been broken and whilst he was showing real heart he was starting to take a real beating.
Suddenly in round 8 Chavez had one of his best rounds (which wasn't saying much up to this point) as he tagged Martinez with a solid shot that opened up a cut around the left eye of Martinez. Despite landing the solid punch Chavez was other-wise clearly outboxed as he fell yet further behind on the cards.
Going into round 11, it was a shut out and Freddie Roach, in Chavez's corner, knew his man was needing a knock out. Chavez attempted to go for the KO and seemed to hurt Martinez at one point before Martinez struck back shaking up Chavez in what, appeared at the time to be the round of the fight...then we got round 12.
With everyone knowing Chavez needed a knockout he really went for it and for the first time he really let his hands go, tagging Martinez clean on the chin a number of times before Martinez went down hard. It suddenly appeared as if history was going to repeat it's self and Chavez Jr was going to replicate what his dad did to Meldrick Taylor. Chavez went all out for the KO but failed to land the one extra shot he needed before Martinez recovered his senses and survived the rest of the round.
Whilst some may have been expecting some awful score cards in favour of Chavez, the judges did the right thing and all 3 of them had Martinez as a clear winner.
Saturday, 1 September 2012
Gennady Golovkin v Grzegorz Proksa
Gennady Golovkin (24-0, 21) made not only his US debut but also a real statement to the boxing world as he successfully defended his WBA Middleweight title by stopping Poland's Grzegorz Proksa (28-2, 21) in 5 one sided rounds.
The difference between the two was obvious from the opening round with Golovkin rocking Proksa late in the opener before dropping the Pole. Whilst the Pole claimed it was a slip it obvious that he had been hurt and hurt hard. The following round Golovkin continued to attack, carefully and accurately showing not only excellent shot selection but heavy handed power and unnerving composure.
Proksa's best round was round 3 though it was the only one in which the Pole didn't looked to have been hurt by Golovkin's shots. Despite it appearing like a small respite for the challenger it was still a round that champion won with his accurate shots. More than anything the round acted as the calm before the storm and in the following round Golovkin did some of his best work, dropping Proksa again and really hurting him with sickening left hooks to the body. Whilst Proksa managed to see the bell for the end of round 4 he was looking like a beaten man, his nose bloodied and his body feeling the effects of the disheartening shots.
Despite having taken a battering in the previous round the brave Proksa came out for the fifth round, it didn't long however for Golovkin to drop the Pole for a third time, this time with Proksa finishing up face first on the canvas. Despite beating the count the referee waved the bout off having seen enough to declare Golovkin the winner by TKO.
Following the bout Golovkin called out anyone between Light Middleweight and Super Middleweight, seemingly looking for the toughest and best challenges out there. He seemed open to fighting the winner of Andre Ward's up coming fight with Chad Dawson or pretty much anyone in and around those weights. The mostly likely outcome however is that Golovkin is eying up the winner of the upcoming bout between Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr with the new IBF/WBA "super" Middleweight champion Daniel Geale and WBO champion Dmitry Pirog as solid alternatives.
For Proksa it's likely he will return home to the UK and look for a solid rebuilding fighter, maybe even facing Darren Barker or Martin Murray as all 3 fighters attempt to get back in the title hunt. This loss however will seriously dent the Pole's confidence.
The difference between the two was obvious from the opening round with Golovkin rocking Proksa late in the opener before dropping the Pole. Whilst the Pole claimed it was a slip it obvious that he had been hurt and hurt hard. The following round Golovkin continued to attack, carefully and accurately showing not only excellent shot selection but heavy handed power and unnerving composure.
Proksa's best round was round 3 though it was the only one in which the Pole didn't looked to have been hurt by Golovkin's shots. Despite it appearing like a small respite for the challenger it was still a round that champion won with his accurate shots. More than anything the round acted as the calm before the storm and in the following round Golovkin did some of his best work, dropping Proksa again and really hurting him with sickening left hooks to the body. Whilst Proksa managed to see the bell for the end of round 4 he was looking like a beaten man, his nose bloodied and his body feeling the effects of the disheartening shots.
Despite having taken a battering in the previous round the brave Proksa came out for the fifth round, it didn't long however for Golovkin to drop the Pole for a third time, this time with Proksa finishing up face first on the canvas. Despite beating the count the referee waved the bout off having seen enough to declare Golovkin the winner by TKO.
Following the bout Golovkin called out anyone between Light Middleweight and Super Middleweight, seemingly looking for the toughest and best challenges out there. He seemed open to fighting the winner of Andre Ward's up coming fight with Chad Dawson or pretty much anyone in and around those weights. The mostly likely outcome however is that Golovkin is eying up the winner of the upcoming bout between Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr with the new IBF/WBA "super" Middleweight champion Daniel Geale and WBO champion Dmitry Pirog as solid alternatives.
For Proksa it's likely he will return home to the UK and look for a solid rebuilding fighter, maybe even facing Darren Barker or Martin Murray as all 3 fighters attempt to get back in the title hunt. This loss however will seriously dent the Pole's confidence.
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