the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

George, this is a great find. I too viewed it immediately. This is how I had it.

Round 1: 10-9 Johnson
Round 2: 10-9 Williams
Round 3: 10-9 Johnson
Round 4: 10-10 Even
Round 5: 10-9 Johnson
Round 6: 10-9 Johnson
Round 7: 10-9 Johnson
Round 8: 10-9 Johnson
Round 9: 10-9 Johnson
Round 10: 10-9 Williams

Total: 98-93 Johnson (actual scores: 100-89, 99-91 and 99-92 all for Johnson)

What a terrific fight! God only knows what this fight would have looked like if Williams had a bit more seasoning than the 17 fights he had at this time. The one judge who had it 100-89 obviously gave every round to Johnson and one of them being a 10-8 round. I guess it's in the eye of the beholder. But I thought Williams gave one hell of an effort and did well enough to grab a couple of rounds against a Johnson who would not be denied. Again George, terrific find.

 

Boxxy, first of all, thanks for the recommendation on this fight. When I saw your writeup it looked like fun and it certainly was. Normally I tend to avoid Virgil Hill fights. Really not my cup of tea. For me, most of his fights were sort of monotonous with him in control behind his jab and him on the move. However, in this case, Tiozzo forced him into a firefight, which made it entertaining. And for me that was a first. An entertaining Virgil Hill fight. The only other thing is, I did agree with the decision.

Virgil Hill v Fabrice Tiozzo I

Round 1: 10-8 Hill (scores a knockdown)
Round 2: 10-8 Hill (scores a knockdown)
Round 3: 10-10 Even
Round 4: 10-10 Even
Round 5: 10-9 Tiozzo
Round 6: 9-9 (Hill's round but lost a point for a low blow)
Round 7: 10-9 Hill
Round 8: 10-9 Tiozzo
Round 9: 10-8 Tiozzo (Hill loses another point for a low blow)
Round 10: 10-9 Hill
Round 11: 10-9 Hill
Round 12: 10-9 Hill

Total: 115-111 Hill (official scores: 115-112 and 115-110 both for Hill and 115-113 for Tiozzo)

I did feel many of these rounds were close, so I can see a dissenting score. I just felt Hill was the busier of the two. I thought Tiozzo was going to start running away with the fight after his showing in the 5th but it wasn't the case in my view and I just felt Hill outworked him. But a very good, competitive fight.

 

I saw something written up somewhere recently on the Michael Moorer v Frans Botha fight and thought I'd check it out. Moorer the defending IBF heavyweight champ.

Round 1: 10-9 Botha
Round 2: 10-9 Moorer
Round 3: 10-9 Moorer
Round 4: 10-10 Even
Round 5: 10-9 Moorer
Round 6: 10-9 Botha
Round 7: 10-9 Botha
Round 8: 10-9 Moorer
Round 9: 10-9 Moorer
Round 10: 10-9 Moorer
Round 11: 10-7 Moorer (Moorer drops Botha twice)
Round 12: Moorer stops Botha

Total through 11 completed rounds: 107-101 (actual scores: 106-100 and 106-100 again, both for Moorer and a 104-103 for Botha)

Before I start ranting on what a ridiculous call that last one was I should say in fairness to a veteran judge that there was a fine line on many rounds between Botha's big, wild thumps and Moorer's more refined punching. I personally preferred his cleaner sharper blows to Botha's big slaps that Moorer picked off many of. The fight was decent for a heavyweight fight and I got to see some of Teddy Atlas' ranting between rounds. I do see why he always needed to do that with Moorer. Man, he was like a Joe Bugner-type. You needed to set a fire under his stool to get him going.

 

Tonight Im watching Sho Kimura vs Kosei Tanaka

Round 1: 9-10
Round 2: 9-10 (18-20 Tanaka)
Round 3: 9-10 (27-30 Tanaka)
Round 4: 10-9 (37-39 Tanaka)
Round 5: 10-9 (47-48 Tanaka)
Round 6: 10-9 (57-57)
Round 7: 9-10 (66-67 Tanaka)
Round 8: 10-9 (76-76)
Round 9: 9-10 (85-86 Tanaka)
Round 10: 10-9 (95-95)
Round 11: 10-9 (105-104 Kimura)
Round 12: 10-9 (115-113 Kimura)

Final Score: 115-113 Sho Kimura
Judges scores: (114-114) (115-113 Tanaka) (116-112 Tanaka)
Result: Majority Decision win for Kosei Tanaka.


Wow what a fight. This fight was super close and super competitive right from the opening bell. Tanaka started fast and faded later on in the contest. Kimura lacked head movement but he made up for it in his volume and work rate in the rounds he won. He really came on late in the contest too despite his eye being shut. I may have Kimura winning, but i have no problem with the decision. This was a super close fight that was really tough to score. There were enough close rounds for me to be able to see the decision. Overall, I can't recommend this one enough. Its terrific.

 

After scoring Moorer-Botha the other day I had heard Botha's fight with Shannon Briggs was very entertaining so thought I would check it out.

Shannon Briggs v Frans Botha

Round 1: 10-9 Briggs
Round 2: 10-9 Briggs
Round 3: 10-9 Botha
Round 4: 10-9 Botha
Round 5: 10-10 Even
Round 6: 10-9 Briggs
Round 7: 10-9 Botha
Round 8: 10-8 Briggs (scores a knockdown)
Round 9: 10-9 Botha
Round 10: 10-8 Botha (Botha gives Briggs a going over)

Total: 95-94 Botha (actual scores: 95-92 for Botha and 2 scores of 94-94 for a majority Draw)

Let me tell ya, there was some huffing and puffing but these two put on a show. A controversial draw, but I only had Botha pulling it out in the 10th with a big round, so I wasn't too bothered by the draw. I will say, however, that Botha won his rounds bigger than Briggs, which is likely why the controversy. It was amazing how Briggs had absolutely no defense or idea on what to do with that overhand right. Again, an entertaining fight.

 

I'm scoring James Toney VS Dave Tiberi tonight to see if it is a robbery like everyone says.

Round 1: 10-9
Round 2: 9-10 (19-19)
Round 3: 9-10 (28-29 Tiberi)
Round 4: 9-10 (37-39 Tiberi)
Round 5: 9-10 (46-49 Tiberi)
Round 6: 10-8 (56-57 Tiberi) Tiberi is deducted a point for a low blow
Round 7: 10-9 (66-66)
Round 8: 9-10 (75-76 Tiberi)
Round 9: 9-10 (84-86 Tiberi)
Round 10: 10-9 (94-95 Tiberi)
Round 11: 10-9 (104-104)
Round 12: 10-9 (114-113 Toney)

My Final Score: 114-113 James "Lights Out" Toney
Judges scores: (115-112 Toney) (111-117 Tiberi) (115-112 Toney)
Result: Split Decision for James Toney

Firstly, Wow! What a fight! The two of them traded toe to toe for 12 rounds straight. I felt like Toney won the fight, but he won it by the skin of his teeth. If not for the fact that he edged out rounds 11 and 12 on my card, he could have easily lost. Toney's problems with discipline are really apparent here in this fight. Toney is someone known for fighting in spurts and never has it been more apparent than here. Tiberi made Toney fight at a pace that he really wasn't comfortable with and it showed. All the credit in the world to Tiberi. With this being his first and last title shot, he put everything into the fight and put on the performance of a lifetime. Awesome fight. I'd recommend giving it a watch.

 

I recently scored it for Tiberi by like three points I think, but acknowleged there is a question to be answered about aggression vs. sharper punching that only the individual watching it can answer for themselves. If Tiberi had even just a little power he'd have ended it, but he had pillowfists. Unfortunate for him.

I've seen much, much worse robberies. I thought Tiberi deserved it, but didn't think it was a disgusting injustice the way some do.

 

I didn't watch this today. I just love this fight and felt like sharing my scorecard.

Andre Berto vs Luis Collazo
Round 1: 10-9
Round 2: 10-9 (20-18 Berto)
Round 3: 9-10 (29-28 Berto)
Round 4: 8-10 (37-38 Collazo) Berto looses a point for holding. Kinda a BS deduction tbh
Round 5: 10-9 (47-47)
Round 6: 9-10 (56-57 Collazo)
Round 7: 10-9 (66-66)
Round 8: 10-9 (76-75 Berto)
Round 9: 9-10 (85-85)
Round 10: 9-10 (94-95 Collazo)
Round 11: 10-9 (104-104)
Round 12: 10-9 (114-113 Berto)

Final Score: 114-113 Andre Berto
Judges: (116-111 Berto) (114-113 Berto) (114-113 Berto)

Amazing fight. This is one of those fights I love re-watching. These guys don't stop throwing for the whole fight. Round 1 is really fun. Berto is sent flying across the ring with a shot and later comes back in that round to overwhelm Berto. Its a great fight and i recommend anyone check it out. Great back and forth war.

 

Boxxy, I just scored this for the first time. When I saw it live I just sort of shrugged my shoulders on this, but here is how I see it with pen in hand.

James Toney v Dave Tiberi

Round 1: 10-9 Toney
Round 2: 10-9 Tiberi
Round 3: 10-9 Tiberi
Round 4: 10-10 Even
Round 5: 10-9 Tiberi
Round 6: 10-8 Toney (Tiberi penalized 1 point for a low blow)
Round 7: 10-9 Tiberi
Round 8: 10-9 Tiberi
Round 9: 10-10 Even
Round 10: 10-9 Toney
Round 11: 10-9 Toney
Round 12: 10-9 Toney

Total: 115-114 Toney (actual scores: 117-111 Tiberi, 115-111 Toney and a 115-112 for Toney for a split decision win).

Nothing I say can be better than how SalSanchez phrased it when he said, "but acknowleged there is a question to be answered about aggression vs. sharper punching that only the individual watching it can answer for themselves." I thought that was so apt and right on the money. Tiberi was a workhorse, but the exhausted Toney kept getting off the cleaner, more meaningful punches, just not as many, which puts the onus on the judge. I have seen so many diverse opinions on this fight. Who's to say who is right or wrong?

 

Sal, I agree with every part of this. I too have seen fights that I just thought were blatant robberies. Parker-Hamsho I and Qawi-Ocasio are the first to come to mind. This wasn't one of them.

 

John Mugabi v James Green

Very good fight in which Mugabi overcame a strong start from Hard Rock to eventually wear down a bloodied and battered Green. Green showed a lot of heart to keep going and actually had a couple of strong rounds before the stoppage but Mugabi was just too much for him.

Green was crazily short for a middleweight (5 '5 seems generous) but built like a bull, wasn't he? I don't think I noticed it so much in his fight with Frank Fletcher but I did here.

1 9-10
2 10-9
3 9-10 (big round for Hard Rock, who batters The Beast against the ropes)
4 10-9 (Mugabi is the one backing Green up now)
5 10-9
6 10-9
7 10-9 (slow round)
8 9-10
9 9-10 (close)
(86-85)
10 Mugabi TKO Green

 

Frank Fletcher v Norberto Sabater

Typical Fletcher fight - he comes out like a bull in a china shop and just outworks Sabater (who I don't know much about, to be honest).

Fletcher was a great to watch TV fighter but being brutally honest doesn't have much to offer other than an exceptional workrate and of course a huge heart - and both were on display here.

Fun, of course, if a little one-sided.

1 10-9
2 10-9
3 9-10
4 10-9
5 10-9
6 10-9
7 10-9
8 10-9
9 10-9
10 10-9
Fletcher 99-91 Sabater

 

John Mugabi v Frank Fletcher

Fletcher was smart enough to realise that he couldn't just run across the ring and bludgeon Mugabi so this was a much more cautious performance from him as he tried to box and move. I always thought Mugabi was a big light-middleweight but at 5'8 he was not particularly tall but his frame was thick. Fletcher by contrast probably would be two or three weight divisions smaller than middleweights today and would probably have to boil down to 147 to be effective. Against Mugabi, the size difference was notable despite Mugabi only being 1 inch taller.

As soon as Mugabi backed Fletcher to the ropes and unloaded, The Animal was in trouble. He nearly knocked him out of the ring in round 2 but finished the job spectacularly in the 4th.

1 10-9
2 10-9
3 10-9
(30-27)
4 Mugabi TKO Fletcher

 

Jel, I scored this about a year ago. I absolutely loved this fight. Here is what I wrote:

Round 1: 10-9 Green
Round 2: 10-10 Even
Round 3: 10-8 Green (no knockdown but Green battered the life out of Mugabi)
Round 4: 10-9 Mugabi
Round 5: 10-9 Mugabi
Round 6: 10-10 Even
Round 7: 10-9 Mugabi
Round 8: 10-9 Mugabi
Round 9: 10-9 Green
Round 10: Mugabi stops Green

Total (through 9 completed rounds): 86-86 Even

Again, just a terrific fight. In our day and age I can see a referee stopping the bout in Green's favor in the 3rd. Also of interest was the stoppage in the 10th, with Lou Duva and James Green protesting the stoppage vehemently. Again, today it would have been stopped a bit sooner. Actual scores were 86-85, 88-86 and 88-84 for Mugabi. I highly recommend this fight.

 

Makes me wonder whether there was a stoppage that Lou Duva didn't protest vehemently. Green's face was a mess and he was shipping punishment - it was the right call, I think.