the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

McGrain, I scored their first fight 115-112 for Randall and the second fight I had 76-76 when it was terminated. But the thing with that second fight that annoyed me was Dr. Flip Homansky, who said he would have let the fight continue. But Chavez told him he couldn't and they stopped the fight. IMO, that's a retirement and should not have gone to the cards. Concessions always seemed to be given.

Regarding their 3rd fight, despite the fact they were both pushing 40, they fought their hearts out and I really enjoyed the bout. I had Chavez winning 98-92, but a damn good fight.

 

Michael Nunn v Graciano Rocchigiani (vacant light heavyweight title)

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

Total: 116-114 Rocchigiani (actual scores: 118-111 and 115-113 both for GR and a 116-113 for Nunn for a split win for GR)

This was an incredibly weird fight to score. To begin, Nunn was in great shape and threw a blizzard of punches at GR. But when those punches are landing at about a 90% rate on the other fighter's gloves and arms it throws a wrench in the works of what we know on scoring a fight. I personally score on clean punches, but it was as if Nunn was actually targeting those gloves on GR's high guard. Occasionally he would go to the body, but then it was back to tapping away at his gloves. GR at least when he did throw, it was a substantial punch, but I can't give points for what Nunn was doing. And again, this looked to be a case of a bad plan, because he was in great shape and when he used the ring he looked like he was going to do something. If you guys like a controversial fight to score, go no further than this.

 

Tyrell Biggs KO 6 David Bey

Biggs' career was that of "the Other One." In the amateurs, despite being America's best hope internationally, he could never quite get past Teofilo Stevenson of Cuba. Second best. A gold medal in the '84 Olympics proved a momentary salve for his reputation but it was an Olympic Games marred by absence of Cuba and the Soviet Bloc countries. The medal was nice, but.........

Then came the much-ballyhooed night in late 1984, in which many of the Olympic boxing medalists fought their pro debuts on national TV, prime time, no less. What a springboard for all of their careers, a masterstroke by the Duva team. Some, like Taylor and Whitaker, dazzled; others, like Breland and Biggs, fizzled. Biggs was even booed by the Madison Square Garden crowd for his jab-and-move style against journeyman MIke Evans.

Biggs was a big man with exceptional movement and fast hands; he had tools to go a long way, but running parallel to him was another who had stayed out of focus coming out of the amateurs. While pundits picked apart every early professional outing Biggs had, MIke Tyson began his own run, quickly surpassing Biggs in results and public interest. Again, second best.

This fight was supposed to be a continuation of the momentum the Biggs team felt they had established with an interesting win over Renaldo Snipes. Biggs decided to be more entertaining, and so stood more flat-footed against the New Yorker, winning a decision. Critics were intrigued, if not won over. Bey, once a title contender, was a reasonable next step in Biggs' climb to the top, even if he had begun to erode into the status of "opponent."

Biggs once again stood flat-footed, figuring his speed and combination would overwhelm the slower, portly Bey. This strategy, however, played into the hands of Bey, who soldiered forward and let his hands go, rocking Biggs with both lefts and rights, while mauling his way inside. Biggs also landed, but he seemed uncomfortable somehow. He knew this was what people wanted from him; standing and slugging and taking his opponents out. Problem is, ignoring the obvious physical tools that made him special as an amateur and were the very reason so may predicted great things from him left him just another fighter. Standing flat-footed, he was no longer special.

I gave Bey the first four. Aided by Biggs' foolhardy plan of staying inside, he obliged and raked the taller man with both hands to the head and body, almost always with the initiative. In the fourth, Bey landed a hard right that tore open a huge cut around Biggs' left eye. It was ghastly, and in this day and age might well have been stopped right there and then.

BIggs decided that **** had gotten real about then, and opened the fifth with more urgency and activity, mixing fast combinations with deft footwork that was designed not to show off dance moves but to establish punching angles. It won him the round, but time seemed to be running out. The cut was bad and could only get worse.

In the sixth, he began extending his punches on a tiring Bey and caught him mid-ring with fiery combinations. Bey, never one to hold, fell to the canvas badly dazed. He got up at nine, but was cooked. A follow-up combination had Bey helpless and stumbling, and the referee ended it.

There was a lot to write about for this one; how bad Biggs looked until the end, how he was on the cusp of wasting a career that should have been so much more. One had to tip his cap at how Biggs did indeed summon the answers when things got desperate, and he concluded the bout in dramatic fashion when he absolutely had to. That gave some hope.

Biggs would never reach the exalted heights so many predicted for him. He was quickly derailed by Tyson in his one title shot, and immediately began the gatekeeper portion of his career, taking beatings from Gary Mason, Lennox Lewis, and Riddick Bowe among others.

1. Bey
2. Bey
3. Bey
4. Bey
5. Biggs
6. Biggs drops Bey and stops him.

49-46 Bey at the time of the stoppage.

 

Vinny Pazienza v Harry Arroyo (R.I.'s 5 point must system)

I needed to see this fight for no other reason other than to see how far Arroyo had slipped from the sustained shellacking he took at the hands of Jimmy Paul. And believe me, it was profound. I recall reading his results after the Paul fight and it was noticeable losing to guys like Sammy Fuentes and Roger Brown. Good fighters, but fighters that Harry should have handled. The difference from his bouts with Robin Blake, Choo-Choo and White Lightning Brown and Terrance Alli to this fight with Paz was incredible. It looked like he was fighting underwater and it was a shame he was allowed to continue as many years as he did, because he was done like dinner. His management must have squeezed every nickel out of his name. In this fight Paz did anything he wanted while Harry pushed his punches out. None of which had anything on them. I gave every round to Paz with a 5-3 score in both the 7th and 8th rounds (I would have been OK if they stopped the fight in either of those rounds) for a 50-38 scorecard for Pazienza. Actual scores were 49-38, 49-41 and a 50-29 all for Pazienza.

 

A bit from my post from 2016 on this and the deduction

Round 8: An attrition round for Randall where he seemed to get a second wind and was dropping right hands with the most force he had done since round 2 or 3. Chavez did land good stuff of his own. Normally a 10-9 round Randall but the WBC rule to penalize the fighter not cut by the butt makes this 9-9.

I got it 76-75 Randall like the first judge did...I guess I can live with 76-75 the other way but 77-74 is gross

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought the WBC made the deduction rule to reward the cut guy for fighting with a disadvantage but if the fight is stopped there isnt a disadvantage because the fight is over? Does the rule to take the point still apply? Am I wrong or do you guys see what I see? Anyone know any other fights where the stoppage was made on the spot and the point was not taken?

 

Watched a very lively 8 round contest today between two youngsters starting out who both went on to win world titles, named Johnny Tapia v Jesus Chong. To tell you how young Tapia was here, he only had one tattoo. LOL! Again, a very lively contest with speedy combos galore. Totally enjoyed this bout. I only gave Chong a share of rounds 3 and 7, but don't make light of it. He rattled Johnny about 3 times during this bout and was no mug. I had Johnny winning 80-74 (actual scores: 80-73, 79-73 and 78-74 all for Johnny). I was never a huge Tapia fan back in the day, but I have gotten a greater appreciation of his skills in his prime thanks to youtube. If anyone wants to see a fantastic fight involving Tapia, you need to check out his bout with Henry Martinez. I absolutely loved that bout.

 

D, look at this. One year to the day and I'm finally getting around to this.

Paulie Ayala v Johnny Tapia II (catchweight)

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

Total: 116-115 Tapia (actual scores: 116-112, 115-113 and another 115-113 all for Ayala)

Man, this was like their first fight with razor-thin rounds. I scored that one a draw and I would go along with a draw here as well. I watched with Steve Albert and Bobby Czyz commentating. And believe me, two of the biggest Tapia cheerleaders going. I don't have an issue with that in any walk of life, but in those roles, they're supposed to be a bit impartial. Anyways, I enjoyed the fight, even if it took a year after D's recommendation.

 

I think I had this 115-112 to Randall when I scored it.

I rewatched it last night without scoring it. It was such a fantastic fight. I think the big headline at the time was Chavez losing and it being seen as a huge upset but that overshadowed the quality of the fight itself. Around the middle point, it looked like Chavez was going to wear Randall down but the point deduction seemed to shift the momentum and Randall came on from there and of course had the huge 11th which swung things firmly in his favour. Top quality action and I think this was probably the best fight of 1994 (certainly better than Foreman-Moorer which won FOTY honours).

 

Juan Manuel Marquez v .........

I wanted to see a good Juan Manuel Marquez fight today and I was amazed at how many of his early fights - that were broadcast on undercards of big fights from the Great Western Forum from the 90s - that are out there. Man, he looked like a boy in those early days of his career. I saw his fight against trial horse Israel Gonzalez (actually from Vegas) when he was just 7-1. Not too much to this. Very sharp combos galore from this blue-chip prospect before stopping Gonzalez in 4.

Next up, when he was 13-1 he took on another trial horse at the Forum, but one that went the distance in losing efforts to Marcos Villasana, Goyo Vargas, Alejandro Gonzalez and Julio Gervacio and his name was Ulises Chong. Chong fought him tough but was dropped in the 2nd and 4th round before it too was stopped in 4. I found it funny that announcer Tom Kelly noticed that Marquez would sort of telegraph his attack by way of raising his left leg when springing forward. I found it funny because I don't think he ever really lost that during his career.

Next up is JMM's bout with Julian Wheeler, which I understand was very controversial back in the day. Will get to that one later today or tomorrow.

 

Let me know if they show any highlights or talk about Marius Frias who was fighting at the forum around that time. He was a 6'1/6'2 super bantamweight who fought in southern California around this time

 

For a southpaw with that frame at that weight, he was surprisingly … not that good.

He went 12-5-3, with five of his wins (and a loss and draw) coming in Mexicali before migrating to the U.S. — so 7-4-2 after leaving the comforts of home.

The Forum was patient, kept using him after a loss and a draw in his first two fights. But he apparently just didn’t have it despite the freaking build.

Here’s an account of his best win, maybe a sign it was starting to come together for him with a WBO intramural or international belt or some such … then he didn’t fight for 18 months. Upon his return he won a couple of meaningless fights in Indio (where he took up as his home base after LA and Las Vegas didn’t work out) before retiring altogether.

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-aug-12-sp-21644-story.html

 

Yea I remember him, I actually thought he was improving after he held Victor Rabanales to a really close decision loss and then KOd Magana who went 10 rounds with Barrera (on HBO I think). But then like you said he disappeared and only fought twice more.