the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

Showstopper, I scored this last year and noted that it was one terrific bout but a toughie to score. It was Diaz' aggression against Marquez' pin-point punching. But a great fight.

Round 1: 10-9 Diaz
Round 2: 10-9 Diaz
Round 3: 10-9 Diaz
Round 4: 10-9 JMM
Round 5: 10-9 Diaz
Round 6: 10-9 Diaz
Round 7: 10-9 JMM
Round 8: 10-9 JMM
Round 9: JMM stops Diaz

Total (through 8 completed rounds): 77-75 Diaz

 

Thought I'd chip in with my card for this one when I scored it last year.

Juan Manuel Marquez v Juan Diaz 1

Wonderful fight and an example of what happens when a very good fighter meets a great one. Hadn't watched it since 2009 and it was just as good as I remembered it.

I had it in my head that Marquez was knocked down in this one but clearly a false memory! But it was a sensational start from Diaz, who wobbled Marquez in the second.

Ultimately, though, Marquez had more strings to his bow and he took over after the 6th with his more varied offensive arsenal.

I love watching this guy fight - he's just a wonderful fighter.

1 9-10 (scintillating opening round)
2 9-10 (wow - more sensational action)
3 10-9 (better quality from Marquez)
4 10-9 (another terrific round, Marquez took over after a strong start from.Diaz)
5 9-10 (close but Diaz edged it over second half; Marquez cut)
6 9-10 (close again)
7 10-9 (clearer round for Marquez)
8 10-9 (Marquez wobbles Diaz a bit)
(76-76)
9 TKO (beautiful fight-ending uppercut; no need to count)

 

Michael Nunn v Iran Barkley

Round 1: 10-10 Even
Round 2: 10-9 Nunn
Round 3: 10-9 Barkley
Round 4: 10-9 Barkley
Round 5: 10-9 Nunn
Round 6: 10-9 Nunn
Round 7: 10-10 Even
Round 8: 10-9 Nunn
Round 9: 10-9 Barkley
Round 10: 10-9 Barkley
Round 11: 10-9 Nunn
Round 12: 10-9 Nunn

Total: 116-114 Nunn (actual scores: 114-114, 115-113 and 116-113 for a majority decision for Nunn)

What made me think of this fight was a memory that crossed my mind where Bob Arum was being interviewed post-fight and almost screaming, "Michael Nunn did not win that fight!" I believe he was promoting him at the time and after the Kalambay fight, great things were expected of him and this was not it. Today I watched a telecast aired by British TV but Al Bernstein was commentating. After the decision was announced the British TV presenter stated something like Arum wanted to drop Nunn for lack of entertainment value. And I kinda agree. Nunn simply was not an heir apparent to Hagler or Leonard. His punches were taps to the viewer - maybe they looked better at ringside - but speeding around the ring, tapping away at his opponent and fighting the last minute of several of these rounds just wasn't doing it for me. I scored for Nunn against the aging, limited Barkley, but there were several rounds that could've gone either way. Regardless, I agree with Arum on lack of entertainment value with a Michael Nunn fight.

 

When your own promoter is rooting for the other guy, that's not a good look!

Here are my comments on the fight, which I thought Nunn did win, despite Arum's protestations, but agree wholeheartedly that he gave a boring performance.

Michael Nunn v Iran Barkley

Apparently this fight was promoted as Thunder in the Night but it would have been more accurately described as Pissy Rain.

Wherever there is entertainment in boxing, wherever there is great action, wherever there are fun-filled fights with furious exchanges of meaningful punches, Michael Nunn will NOT be there. Second to None? Second to Fun more like.

1 10-9 (close. Bad tempered start - scrappy)
2 10-9 (close)
3 10-9 (better from Nunn after the first two scrappy rounds, he has Barkley at distance now)
4 10-9
5 10-9
6 10-10 (**** fight)
7 10-9
8 9-10 (Nunn clowning and showing slick defense but not throwing or landing anything meaningful)
9 10-9
10 9-10
11 9-10 (close. Nunn is avoiding punches but not throwing much. Barkley landed the best punch of the round and that was enough to take it)
12 10-9 (thank god that's over)

Nunn 117-112 Barkley

 

"Second to Fun" I love it.

 

Re Famechon-Harada 1, I actually had more of a problem with his scoring than his refereeing but this type of ex-pro as guest ref thing tends not to go well (Ali-Liston 2, Jersey Joe). Harada got jobbed, no doubt about it. Will post my card shortly.

 

Barry McGuigan v Danilo Cabrera

Round 1: 10-9 McG
Round 2: 10-9 McG
Round 3: 10-9 McG
Round 4: 10-9 McG
Round 5: 10-9 Cabrera (scored it Even but 1 point deducted from McG for a low blow)
Round 6: 10-9 McG
Round 7: 10-9 McG
Round 8: 10-8 McG (McG batters Cabrera after hurting him late in the round. The ref doesn't hear the bell and stops the fight. Pandemonium ensues until it is explained to the ref that the round was already over and the ring has to be cleared and the fight to continue)
Round 9: 10-9 McG
Round 10: 10-9 Cabrera
Round 11: 10-9 McG
Round 12: 10-9 McG
Round 13: 10-9 McG
Round 14: McG drops and stops Cabrera

Total through 13 completed rounds: 128-118 McGuigan (actual scores: 127-121, 129-120 and 129-122 all for McGuigan)

Cabrera put up very stiff resistance throughout the whole fight. He was a tough fighter who could take it without ever looking like he could win it. The ref had a few screwups here including the stoppage where Cabrera was fumbling for his mouthpiece and the ref didn't stop Barry from hitting him, even though Barry did. To the letter of the law maybe it was correct, but Cabrera was buzzed from being down earlier and I just think the ref should have simply jumped in there, separating them and tell them to box on. But it is what it is. For a 10 day substitute for Fernando Sosa, Cabrera didn't do too bad and he made it a decent fight. Love seeing Barry in action. Always guaranteed to seeing an action fight.

 

It's an interesting fight for sure; Barry looked awful after the fight. He cut and brusied very easily.

How do you see a McGuigan-Nelson fight play out around this time, or maybe back in up a few months and say Nelson-McGuigan in summer of '85?

 

Sal, on more than one occasion I have picked with my heart rather than my head. I wanted to see this fight and it should have been made and I was such a mcguigan supporter that I was going with him back in the day. But now I can say I would be rooting for Barry, but realistically, Nelson would probably stop him around the 10th or 11th by way of the cutting/swelling that you already mentioned. But I do see Barry giving a good go of it until then.

 

Barry gets more boost than merited because he beat a shopworn Eusebio Pedroza, although to be fair I don’t think a lot of people saw it coming and Pedroza was still a tricky puzzle to solve.

But I favor Paul Hodkinson of that era from that side of the pond. Sturdy with pop and as determined as McGuigan. Paul steamrolled Stevie Cruz.

(I am biased because I met Hokko on my trip to England. He was doing a personal appearance at a clothing shop in a shopping center where me and my gf stopped for lunch. Had just won the title. I saw the sign and the shop was closed and it wasn’t supposed to open for another half hour or 45 minutes so I figured oh well. Then Hokko himself walks up and the store owner lets him in, I say hello and congratulated him and he invited us in to take pictures, hold his championship belt and everything. Couldn’t have been nicer.)

 

On the subject of Hodkinson, I watched a couple of his fights last year and loved it. He came out of the Eastwood stable and that McGuigan style was clearly taught. I saw his first fight with Marcos Villasana and thought he put up a tremendous fight, but perhaps that pressure cooker McGuigan style was not 100% his forte as he came undone late in the fight. I wanted to see the rematch last year, but was really ticked because the vid I found went from round 2 to round 5 and I won't watch and score a partial fight. But hang on a sec, on this subject I looked around for more Hoko and I found a different version of their rematch and it is in its entirety. So here we go.

Marcos Villasana v Paul Hodkinson II

Round 1: 10-9 Hoko
Round 2: 10-9 Hoko
Round 3: 10-9 Hoko
Round 4: 10-10 Even
Round 5: 10-9 Hoko
Round 6: 10-9 Villasana
Round 7: 10-9 Hoko
Round 8: 10-9 Hoko
Round 9: 10-10 Even
Round 10: 10-9 Hoko
Round 11: 10-10 Even
Round 12: 10-9 Hoko

Total: 119-112 Hodkinson (actual scores: 119-109, 119-111, 119-114 all for Hodkinson)

Hoko did a much better job this time around. he tempered the McGuigan style of hustle and bustle with a more patient and refined attack and I thought he performed brilliantly. I don't know why Villasana kept to the ropes. Any good work he had done was more center of the ring. But Hoko was not to be denied. He had a game plan and stuck to it.

 

Continuing my Hoko-Fest, today I went for:

Paul Hodkinson v Fabrice Benichou

Round 1: 10-10 Even
Round 2: 10-9 Hoko
Round 3: 10-9 Hoko
Round 4: 10-8 Hoko (scores a knockdown)
Round 5: 10-9 Benichou
Round 6: 10-9 Hoko
Round 7: 10-9 Hoko
Round 8: 10-9 Benichou
Round 9: 10-9 Benichou
Round 10: Ref and doctor stop the bout due to facial injuries sustained by Benichou

Total through 9 completed rounds: 87-84 Hodkinson (actual scores: 87-84, 86-85 and 86-86 with Hoko up on 2 out of 3 cards)

A very good performance by Hoko against a spirited challenger. Benichou was very strong and a good banger. This type of fighter seemed to be coming out of France at the time along with Rufino Angulo and Kamel Bou-Ali. But whereas Benichou would slather Hoko at times to the body, there was a lot being caught by Hoko on his arms and elbows. And Hoko was quite precise with his shots to head and body. There didn't appear to be any dispute or argument from Benichou or his corner on the stoppage. He had shot his bolt by this time and was really getting caught and marked up. A good win.

 

I’ve been overwhelmed by moving from one state to another lately but I want to dive into some of this Hoko stuff when I can.

Thanks for taking my mention of him and diving in head-first!

 

Hoko is awesome.

 

No problem, Pat. Last evening I was checking out Hoko v Steve Robinson. The first 4 rounds were razor close and then I started getting a bit tired, so I aborted then and there because this fight needs any judge's wits about him. I'll finish it tonight. If you have not checked out Hoko's fight with Goyo Vargas, I would highly recommend it. Beautiful clean punching by both combatants.