the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

Danny "Little Red" Lopez vs. Roberto Castanon
WBC Featherweight Title
March 10, 1979

Round 1 - 10-9 Lopez - This was a basic, run-of-the-mill, ho-hum Danny Lopez first round ... meaning he hit Castanon a lot and Castanon hit him a lot. Very enjoyable first round with the edge in effective punches going to Lopez.

Round 2 - KO win for Lopez at 3:00 of round 2 - After more rugged back and forth fighting Castanon went down midway through the round. He got up a bit wobbly but came on strong until he got caught with body and head shots at the end of the round. He went down at 2:48 and didn't make it up before the 12 second, 10-count.

This was your basic, action packed Danny Lopez fight but I wouldn't usually put a two round fight on this thread. The reason I bring up this fight is because Howard Cosell was on the call. Cosell was often a distasteful, self-important blow-hard but when he was minding his manners he could be magnificent. I didn't watch anything before or after the fight but during the fight Howard was at his very best.

 

Christian Mijares v Tomas Rojas

Round 1: 10-9 Rojas
Round 2: 10-10 Even
Round 3: 10-9 Rojas
Round 4: 10-9 Rojas
Round 5: 10-9 Rojas
Round 6: 10-9 Mijares
Round 7: 10-10 Even
Round 8: 10-9 Mijares
Round 9: 10-9 Mijares
Round 10: 9-9 Even (Rojas' round but docked a point in the 10th for hitting on the break)

Total: 96-95 Rojas (actual scores: 95-94, 96-94 and 96-93 all for Mijares)

I always loved a Christian Mijares fight and when I saw this was a bout between 2 ex-champs I thought there might be fireworks. Well, there wasn't. In fact Mijares didn't even get into the fight until around the 6th. Well behind on my card at that point and also well marked up, he finally starts to fight. I thought Rojas' sneaky counters throughout shaded the fight towards him, but it is what it is. I would rate this fight as, give it a pass.

 

I was ODing this morning on a couple of more Cristian Mijares fights. The first was...

Cristian Mijares v Andres Gutierrez (12 rounds for some crap title where Gutierrez came in 4 lbs. overweight)

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

Total: 117-114 Mijares (actual scores: 116-112 and 114-113 both for Mijares and a 114-114 Even for a majority win for Mijares)


Cristian Mijares v Victor Terrazas (vacant super bantamweight title)

Round 1: 10-9 Mijares
Round 2: 10-9 Mijares
Round 3: 10-9 Terrazas
Round 4: 10-9 Mijares
Round 5: 10-9 Mijares
Round 6: 10-9 Terrazas
Round 7: 10-9 Terrazas
Round 8: 10-9 Mijares
Round 9: 10-10 Even
Round 10: 10-9 Mijares
Round 11: 10-10 Even
Round 12: 10-8 Mijares (scores a knockdown)

Total: 117-112 Mijares (actual scores: 114-113 Mijares, 114-113 and 115-112 both for Terrazas. Ringside scorer - I guess you could call him the Mexican Harold Lederman - had it 116-111 for Mijares)

I enjoyed both of these fights. Both Gutierrez and Terrazas had similar styles but I would not call either the 'typical Mexican fighter.' Both of these pugs were very well-schooled, heavy-handed fighters who knew their way around the block. Gutierrez was 34-0-1 and Terrazas was 36-2-1 against good competition. Two very well matched bouts pitting the dogged hard punchers against the flashier, speedy combos of Mijares. I especially enjoyed the Mijares-Terrazas fight and was very surprised by that decision. But it is what it is. I would recommend the Terrazas fight because Mijares was 3 years younger than he was in the Gutierrez fight and speedier, which made for an exciting fight. And Terrazas was no mug when he became aware he was able to tag the southpaw Mijares with the lead right. Again, I enjoyed both but moreso the Terrazas fight.

 

Rodolfo Martinez v Carlos Zarate (bantamweight title)

Round 1: 10-10 Even
Round 2: 10-9 Zarate
Round 3: 10-9 Martinez
Round 4: 10-9 Zarate
Round 5: 10-8 Zarate (scores a knockdown)
Round 6: 10-9 Zarate
Round 7: 10-9 Zarate
Round 8: 10-9 Zarate
Round 9: Zarate drops and KOs Martinez

Total through 8 completed rounds: 79-73 Zarate (actual scores not known)

The coronation of Zarate in a fight where the challenger was the favorite. I don't think too many of those since the days of Patterson-Liston. But not to take anything from Martinez. I had followed him for several years and he was a damn good champion. This fight was a standout on the ledger of Zarate. Martinez wobbled Zarate good in the 3rd round just to let him know he was there. And with the fight slipping, Martinez made one last stand and gave a great account of himself in the 8th round. I feel he went out on his shield as Zarate was simply a force of nature.

 

Fernando Vargas v Wilfredo Rivera (10 rounds)

Round 1: 10-9 Vargas
Round 2: 10-8 Rivera (scores a knockdown)
Round 3: 10-9 Vargas
Round 4: 10-10 Even
Round 5: 10-9 Vargas
Round 6: Vargas drops and stops Rivera

Total through 5 completed rounds: 48-47 Vargas (actual scores unknown)

A short fight but one with a fair bit of action. The announcing team was concerned about Vargas going into this match after the bit of a pummeling he absorbed at the hands of Trinidad in his last fight. And in the 2nd round fears turned into reality as Rivera dropped him solidly. Rivera was not a puncher but he made up for that with accuracy and a willingness to trade, which made for a good fight. After the knockdown, Vargas tried to rough up Rivera every chance he could and it finally paid dividends, especially with a swelling and cut on the left eye of Rivera. After dropping Rivera in the 6th, one could see he wanted no more and his corner stopped the bout. Again, short but an exciting contest for as long as it lasted.

 

Rivera had a pretty good scrap vs Mosley, I'd be interested to see your scorecard for that one.

 

I'll pencil that one in, D. Have you ever checked out Rivera's bouts with Pernell Whitaker? The first one is controversial.

 

I have a long time ago only seen them once, I do remember thinking Rivera may of been hard done by in their 1st fight. Or at worst earned a draw, and I thought Whitaker won the rematch by a few points.

 

I scored their first encounter 116-114 for Rivera and their rematch 115-113 for Whitaker. Two close fights.

 

D, checked this out today.

Shane Mosley v Wilfredo Rivera (10 rounds)

Round 1: 10-9 Mosley
Round 2: 10-10 Even
Round 3: 10-9 Rivera
Round 4: 10-9 Rivera
Round 5: 10-9 Rivera
Round 6: 10-9 Rivera
Round 7: 10-9 Rivera
Round 8: 10-9 Mosley
Round 9: 10-9 Mosley
Round 10: Mosley drops and stops Rivera

Total through 9 completed rounds: 87-85 Rivera (actual scores: 86-85 Rivera, 86-85 Mosley and 88-83 Mosley)

Tough fight on the scorer here. Do you like the harder but fewer shots or the steadier work-rate? Rivera wasn't a banger but really stayed busy during this contest, whereas Shane seemed to fight only in spurts. I mean, great shots when he landed them, but just in spurts. Still, it made for a good contest.

 

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After a long sprawl of random reading while sat waiting for the train, I found a link to an old thread about the best wins in super featherweight history, and in that thread @PhillyPhan69 listed what seemed to be his ten favourite fights at the weight, and I hadn't seen this and one other - which I'll be watching later on - and after seeing this involved two Koreans, I knew it'd be awesome.

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10 : 9
9 : 10*
9 : 10*
9 : 10 (37/39)
10 : 9
10 : 9*
10 : 9
10 : 9* (77/75)
9 : 10
10 : 9*
9 : 10*
9 : 10* (

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This really was a great, great fight. I actually completely agreed with the decision, and there was so many swing rounds, it'd be feel cruel to penalise one of them for their work. I wish there was a rematch. I'd highly recommend it to any who hasn't seen it. @Jel @scartissue this feels right up your street.

Other than the usual qualities you come to expect from world level Korean fighters, these two showed some very nice skills and were far more sophisticated than their records, and my preconceived image of them would imply. I was expecting what you always tend to get from Korean boxers. Superb condition, stoic-faced and granite chinned, with an almost undeterrable attitude to pressure fighting and a worrying disregard for defence. That wasn't entirely the case here though. I mean, they did have the stoic attitude and unwavering toughness and conditioning, but these two were actually really skilled operators.

Jong Kwon Baek was a nasty pressure fighter. Decent fundamentals, very good timing and placement, and when he started to use his jab, it worked very well. He cut the ring well, got under shots well, worked the body well - although not enough - and was able to pounce into a long, leaping left hook as soon as Choi changed direction. I was very impressed by his skill, alongside his wicked determination, unending stamina and granite chin. His record suggests he's also a pretty large puncher too, but it wasn't really on display in this fight - I often asked myself if these two were tough as ****, or had no power. Probably a little bit both.

And Baek's opponent, Kyu Chul Choi was really impressive. He had a long jab, a very good uppercut, and was able to line up his back hand with alarming regularly. He was quite good defensively, and his inside game was very impressive. He tied Baek up very easily in the early rounds, and his stretch of success after the first came from using his reach advantage, and not allowing Baek to work up close. I was very impressed with how he tied half of Baek's offense up, and used his other hand to work the uppercut.

I would say however, that had Baek gone to the body more, he'd have won quite clearly. There were quite a few moments where Choi looked like he was wilting, but summoned some reserves for the rest of the round. Some well placed shovel hooks would've eliminated that ability.

 

Have you seen Armando Castro vs Khaosai Galaxy?

 

Is that the one right at the end of his career, where Galaxy should've lost?

 

Mhm

 

Juan Manuel Lopez v Orlando Salido I (featherweight title)

Round 1: 10-9 Lopez
Round 2: 10-10 Even
Round 3: 10-9 Lopez
Round 4: 10-9 Salido
Round 5: 10-8 Salido (scores a knockdown)
Round 6: 10-9 Salido
Round 7: 10-9 Lopez
Round 8: Salido stops Lopez

Total through 7 completed rounds: 67-66 Salido (actual scores: 66-66 by all 3 judges)

Poor Juanma, this fight exposed his Amir Khan-like chin and he was being targeted by anyone with a bit of a punch hereafter. Salido was just a dogged fighter who came up the hard way with no fanfare and was savvy enough to put the hurt on the star of the show. I will say, however, I feel the stoppage was a bit premature. Regardless, a good scalp by Salido and I'll be checking out Salido-Lopez II next.