the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

Bizarro is horrible to watch. His style is like an imitation of Jerry Lewis imitating a boxer.

 

Used to have that fight on VHS. One of Page's worse fights, but IMHO, he pulled it out by a point or two.

 

Thomas Hearns v Dennis Andries

Tommy gives poor Dennis a total ass-kicking.

This was a case of an ATG just being much better and there was nothing Andries could have done. He did well to have his best rounds directly after being on the brink in the 6th but the writing was on the wall when Andries was put down in the 9th. The first of two titles that Hearns would win that year to become boxing's first 4-weight world champion.

1 10-9
2 10-9 (Hearns has Andries in big trouble; Andries stiffens Hearns' legs)
3 10-9
4 10-9
5 10-9
6 10-6 (Andries down four times)
7 10-10
8 10-9 (close)
9 10-8 (Andries down again)
(90-77)
10 Hearns TKO Andries

 

Julio Cesar Chavez v Jose Luis Ramirez

A clinic from Culiacan's finest against Culiacan's second best fighter. Chavez's straight right was laser-guided onto Ramirez's head all night. By contrast, Ramirez'e straight left consistently sailed over Chavez's. A shame the fight ended the way it did but the decision would have only gone one way.

1 10-9
2 9-10 (close)
3 10-9
4 10-9 (should have been a 10-8 as Ramirez touched down from a punch)
5 10-9
6 10-9
7 10-9
8 10-9
9 10-9 (closer - Ramirez's best since the 2nd)
10 10-9
(99-91)
11 Chavez winner by TD

 

Did you watch this coz of me? Good performance, init? I thought it was a fun fight too.

 

Yep, you got me thinking about it. Such a shame that he didn't stay a bit longer at 135 - he could have built a lasting legacy there.

And I think a match in 89/90 against Pernell Whitaker would have been very, very intriguing.

 

My bad; I was thinking of Lou Bizarro.

 

Johnny's wasn't far from that. A real bicyclist who would run in with a fast/wild attack. After watching that scenario for 12 rounds, I thought that was who you were talking about.

 

Julio Cesar Chavez v Ruben Castillo

Chavez is relentless here against a game but outgunned Castillo. Julio unloads a vicious body attack and demonstrates his pressure fighting style against an experienced challenger who had already faced latin legends like Alexis Arguello and Salvador Sanchez.

1 10-9 (close, cagey start but left hook at the end means JCC takes the round)
2 10-9 (close again)
3 10-9
4 10-9
5 10-10
(50-45)
6 Chavez KO Castillo

 

Julio Cesar Chavez v Juan LaPorte

Fantastic and thoroughly absorbing fight. LaPorte started very well and gave Chavez a lot to think about before Julio started to wear him down and build momentum into the second half of the fight. From then on, Chavez looked to be in control but flurries and explosive bursts from LaPorte kept things close.

A real test for a still young Chavez but no controversy on my card.

1 9-10 (close but good start from LaPorte)
2 10-9 (close again. High quality, back and forth - not much between them)
3 9-10 (LaPorte is taking the fight to Chavez impressively)
4 9-10 (Chavez decides to stay mobile rather than trade but LaPorte lands the best punches of the round)
5 10-9
6 10-9 (Chavez is coming back, working the body brilliantly. Dead even at the halfway point)
7 10-10 (superb action, nothing between them)
8 10-9 (Chavez providing the more consistent output with superb body punching and eye catching combos. LaPorte comes back hard at the end to bring the round to a crescendo)
9 9-10 (pretty even round but Chavez docked a point early on, giving the round to LaPorte)
10 10-9 (Chavez providing the consistent punch output as LaPprte seems to tire)
11 10-9 (close. Chavez is in full search and destroy mode for the first half of the round but LaPorte comes back hard. Awesome stuff)
12 10-9 (grandstand finish but Chavez took it)

Chavez 116-113 LaPorte

 

I had it 117-113 for Chavez. I recall Flash Gordon's old publication and how he felt LaPorte was robbed blind. So much so, that in his rankings, he simply started to refer to Laporte as the world champ. Personally, although close, I don't see that. I do feel, however, that LaPorte really reinvented himself at 130. I thought he was far better at jr. light than feather. Good fight.

 

I hate it when people decide fhat their take on a fight is so definitive that it somehow should alter the reality of the official verdict. And it was demonstrably not the case here - but, like you say, LaPorte performed better up at 130.

 

World Boxing also had it for Laporte back then. The title of the article for it was "Loser And Still Champion."

Ouch.

 

Azumah Nelson v Jim McDonnell

This one took place at the back end of 1989 and was a big fight in the UK, in the days when boxing was still shown free on terrestrial TV (sigh).

First, a flashback to one of my earlier boxing memories. As a 12 year old, I would watch sports on Saturdays and there was a football show on Saturday lunchtime on English telly called Saint and Greavsie. Before this fight took place, Jimmy Greaves interviewed Azumah Nelson and during the interview held up his hand and asked Nelson to punch it, which he duly did. The look on Greavsie's face was priceless. (If anyone can find that clip for me - I can't - that would be great).

I don't remember watching the fight itself, just seeing the ending so rectifying that now.

1 9-10 (cracking start with McDonnell more than holding his own)
2 9-10 (very good round from McDonnell. I'm feeling the patriotism stirring here - come on Jim, get in son!)
3 10-10 (McDonnell continuing to box and move while Nelson stalks relentlessly and manages drags Jim into a fight)
4 10-9 (close. Azumah is literally walking around the ring after McDonnell, whose punches don't have quite as much pop as in the first few rounds)
5 10-8 (big moment - Nelson drops McDonnell with a left hook. Jim fights back desperately to stay upright at the end of the round to get a touch of respect from Azumah)
6 10-9 (McDonnell still trying to stick and move but Nelson's punches are the more notable)
7 9-10 (good boxing from McDonnell - keeping Azumah at bay most of the round)
8 10-9 (McDonnell doing all he can to keep distance but getting tagged badly)
9 10-10 (McDonnell very weary but does enough to take a share of the round)
10 9-10 (close. No doubt who the momentum is with by McDonnell does enough to just shade it. Scrappy, but exciting)
11 10-9 (McDonnell's eye is completely shut.
He somehow survives an inspection but obviously can't see)
(106-104)
12 Nelson TKO McDonnell
(probably should have been stopped the previous round by Nelson takes no chances and drops McDonnell twice in the final round and Joe Cortez waves it off)