the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

Juan Manuel Marquez v Orlando Salido (featherweight title)

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

Total: 119-112 Marquez (actual scores: 118-110, 117-111 and another 117-111 all for Marquez)

When I saw this out there I thought it was going to be a good fight. I'll say it was a...tepid fight. The first 6 rounds was just t*t-for-tat boxing. Like a good sparring session. But right enough, the second half picked up. Just not enough for me to say that you gotta see this. One of the few times I can say that about a JMM fight.

 

James Tillis also started off great vs upcoming prospects Page, Williams, flooring both of them but Tillis could never sustain it.

It's funny Tillis was considered at one time, to be the next coming of Ali.

But I think a string of losses turned him into journeyman fighter. And then he just had the mentality of just being a gatekeeper for upcoming prospects.

 

Shannon Briggs vs Francois Botha

1 Briggs
2 Briggs
3 Botha
4 Botha
5 Briggs
6 Briggs
7 Botha
8 Briggs 10-8 knockdown
9 Botha
10 Botha

95-94 Briggs

I've heard alot of people claim this fight was a robbery, but again i've said this before. That word gets thrown around too much, this was a close fight and with Briggs scoring a knockdown, i don't see it's out of the realms of possibility having Briggs the winner.

For me this was a case of Briggs winning the battle on my scorecard, but losing the war. Botha looked like the better fighter, and won his rounds alot clearer outside of the knockdown Briggs scored. He also beat up Briggs pretty bad in the last round, who had a busted eardrum and looked on the verge of being stopped.

But despite all that mathematically on my card Briggs edged it, he certainly didn't win rounds as clear as Botha. But he outworked Botha in some rounds and just did enough to edge rounds 1 2 5 6 and with the knockdown in the 8th. The 5th round was definitely debatable, but i thought Briggs edged it with his work at the beginning, and the big punch he landed at the end.

Overall it was a very enjoyable Heavyweight contest, i see no problem with the draw.

 

D, scored this about a year ago. We weren't too far off and both of us saw the Draw too. Our only difference was the 5th, which I had Even and I gave a 2 pointer to Botha in the last round. This is what I wrote:

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 could definitely see an argument for the last round being 10-8. And I agree with your sentiments aswell.

Botha looked the better fighter, and if your not scoring it RBR. It could be deemed very controversial, as Botha won his rounds big. And looked more impressive overall.

But Briggs did edge out a few rounds, and with the knockdown. I have no problem with the draw like yourself.

One of the more underrated Heavyweight fights of the 90s, Botha vs Moorer was also a good scrap.

 

Just finished Michael Nunn SD12 Victor Cordoba, their first fight. Nunn is the challenger, two fights removed from his stunning knockout loss to James Toney.

Cordoba is an unknown in the States, but he's tall, hard-hitting and a southpaw.

Nunn is frustrating to watch at times because while might actually fight from an aggressive posture a lot of the time, he rarely flashes big power, content instead to lean in, blocking shots and ducking out of range of others while flurrying with slapping shots. Cordoba meanwhile fires far fewer punches, but they have oomph in them, making scoring a chore. He staggers Nunn in the second and floors him hard in the tenth with long left crosses that Nunn can't lean away from fast enough. It's a true study of styles contrasting to make scoring an unenviable job. Here we go:

1. Nunn
2. Cordoba
3. Cordoba
4. Nunn
5. Nunn
6. Nunn
7. Nunn
8. Cordoba
9. Even, 9-9 (Mills Lane decided no one was paying attention to him I guess, and deducted a point unnecessarily for a low blow)
10. Cordoba, 10-8 (knockdown)
11. Nunn
12. Nunn

Final score, 114-112 Nunn.

 

Chris Eubank vs Carl Thompson 1

1 Eubank
2 Eubank
3 Thompson
4 Eubank 10-8 knockdown
5 Even
6 Thompson
7 Eubank
8 Thompson
9 Thompson
10 Thompson
11 Thompson
12 Eubank

114-114 Draw

I watched this again because of a recent thread regarding this fight, so i thought i'd take a look at this classic Cruiserweight fight again. When i watched this fight a few years ago i had Thompson edging it, watching it back again i scored it a draw.

I think this fight comes down to how you scored rounds 5 6 7, these rounds IMO were debatable and i could see differing opinions on these rounds. Do you like Thompson's workrate during the 3 minutes, or do you like Eubank's big moments in the rounds where he wobbles/staggers Thompson.

Overall the fight was as good as i remember, a classic fight and alot of bravery shown from Eubank. Who looked better in this fight while being past his best and above his natural weightclass, than he did in quite a few of his uninspiring title defences in his prime.

 

D, here’s my card and comments on this one:

Carl Thompson v Chris Eubank 1

Thompson toughs it out as Eubank fades in a war of attrition. Regarding Eubank's performance, I'm reminded of something Larry Merchant once said in commentary - It's a virtue to take a punch but it's not a virtue to take too many of them. Eubank seemed to be purging himself in there and his refusal to follow up when he had Thompson hurt only emphasised that feeling. He had Thompson out on his feet in the 7th bit wouldn't follow up - the spectre of the Watson fight loomed large in Eubank's performance.

1 10-10 (good opener)
2 9-10 (excellent combos from Eubank)
3 10-9 (great back and forth action)
4 8-10 (Eubank gave Thompson too much breathing space after the knockdown)
5 10-9 (close but uneven round. Thompson bossing the round with stiff jabs for most of the round then Eubank hurts Thompson who is on wobbly legs by the end. Still gave it to Thompson but could easily go to Eubank)
6 10-9
7 9-10 (Eubank has Thompson out on his feet but refuses to follow up. If Eubank still had his killer instinct the fight would be over)
8 10-9 (Big round for Thompson. Eubank looks seriously tired but he still manages to wobble Thompson again! Thompson recovers quickly this time.)
9 10-9 (Eubank looks all in. Thompson is battering him now)
10 10-9 (Eubank not doing much now)
11 10-9
12 10-9

Thompson 116-112 Eubank

 

I love Carl Thompson so much.

Hopefully I'll get to meet him one day.

 

This is why I don't even ask for supervised visits anymore.

 

Eleoncio Mercedes v Charlie Magri (flyweight title)

Round 1: 10-9 Magri
Round 2: 10-9 Mercedes
Round 3: 10-9 Magri
Round 4: 10-10 Even
Round 5: 10-9 Magri
Round 6: 10-9 Magri
Round 7: Magri stops Mercedes on a cut

Total: 59-56 Magri (actual scores: 59-56 and 58-57 both for Magri as well as a 58-57 for Mercedes)

Man, let me tell you, starting in the second round these 2 let it rip and never let up. In the 5th, Magri seemed to concentrate mainly on the body and IMO, that paid dividends. I didn't think much of the stoppage, however. The two clunked heads in the 6th round and Mercedes came out of it with a sliced left eye. In the next round the doctor stops the action mid-way in the round to have the doctor inspect the cut and he stops it immediately. Really? In the immortal words of Chuck Wepner to Harry Gibb when he was stopped by Joe Bugner, "I've cut myself worse shaving!" But it is what it is. Damn good fight though. Wish they would have left it go for a couple more rounds.

 

Evander Holyfield v Ray Mercer

Round 1: 10-9 Holyfield
Round 2: 10-10 Even
Round 3: 10-9 Mercer
Round 4: 10-10 Even
Round 5: 10-9 Holyfield
Round 6: 10-9 Mercer
Round 7: 10-9 Mercer
Round 8: 10-8 Holyfield (scores a knockdown)
Round 9: 10-9 Holyfield
Round 10: 10-9 Holyfield

Total: 97-94 Holyfield (actual scores: 97-92, 96-93 and 95-94 all for Holyfield)

Let me tell ya, this fight was damn close. Some of these rounds were razor close. I checked a bit of our history on this fight and found @McGrain and @George Crowcroft also scored this fight. And we agreed on about 3 rounds, that's all. Despite the hyperbole from the announcers on Evander, I thought fatigue really got to him. And Mercer could have done so much for himself with sticking with success. I thought he did very well with the jab and his overhand right was tagging Holyfield time and again, but he didn't stick with it. Or maybe his corner saw something different. But very closely contested.

 

I've only seen this fight once, but I remember Mercer looked the better fighter. Until he got knocked down and lost the last 2 rounds. Maybe I'm remembering it wrong but that's my hazy memory on it.

 

Tony Sibson v Frankie Lucas (British middleweight title)

I heard about this fight and found it out there with a pristine vid. First of all lets just say baaaaad blood! The fight almost didn't get started with some needling from Lucas. But when it did they went at it. Lucas' body shots were meant to cave Sibson's ribs in and nothing else was acceptable. But Sibbo was letting them rip big time too and finally caught Lucas with a solid uppercut in the 5th and dropped Lucas 3 times that round before the ref stopped it. I gave Sibbo the first 2 rounds and Lucas rounds 3 and 4. Terrific domestic battle.