the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

Decided to re-watch the first Arbachakov vs Kittikasem bout today on Youtube. I'd forgotten what a masterclass Yuri put on, making an otherwise very solid stand-up boxer look quite sluggish throughout. I gave him every round, Kittikasem's only shining moment being a nicely set up 1-1-2 combo that put Yuri on his ass in the 3rd. However, Yuri really showed his resolve in that round by getting up (appearing wobbly after the knockdown, mind you), shaking it off, and proceeding to beat the stuffing out of Kittikasem for the rest of the round. He even knocked him down in retaliation with a beautiful series of combinations ending in a hard left hook that landed square.

Of course the judges managed to score the fight a lot closer than need be. The only rounds I even thought could've been considered close were the 2nd, 5th, and 6th. Close but clear, as Kittikasem started to switch up tactics in those rounds by pressuring and winging power shots, throwing Yuri off for a bit. Regardless, he never did enough to take any rounds, and the difference in class was very apparent for the most part, which is saying something, as Kittikasem was no bum.

 

i love Arbachakov's footwork in those fights.he's another fighter who was superb at getting little openings and angles using it in perfect rhythmic motion with his offense.he slides to his right while keeping his lead foot set for punche so well, does stuff most orthodox fighters wouldn't even attempt.

 

Yeh Arbackakov is brilliant to watch. The best example of a boxer-puncher for me. Did both things equally well. His offence was nice and varied and always there to keep his opponent on-guard, even whilst moving backwards (as you say Lora he keeps his feet in punching position) he was a threat.

Really tidy fighter aswell, did not waste much, kept a nice guard and didnt do nothing too fancy but had no glaring weakness.

 

Agreed. His footwork and ability to always maintain optimal distance were some of his best attributes.

 

Just watched Sergio Martinez Vs. Kelly Pavlik. I didn't have the opportunity to see the event live and I spent a good portion of the morning avoiding anybody to prevent spoilage of the outcome til I finished my normal morning routine. Flipping past ESPN my eye caught the ticker and the result was exposed. Damn it.

Anyways, here's my scorecard and notes.

115 Martinez - 112 Pavlik
Martinez: 1,2,3,4,9,10,11,12
Pavlik: 5,6,7 (knockdown) ,8
-All rounds scored 10-9 except for the one in which Pavlik knocked down Martinez with an inside right uppercut.
-My scorecard matched Judge Metcalf & Harold Lederman's score.

Fight Notes: - Pavlik needs to get a new cutman and train his ass off for the rematch. If he was capable of pressuring Martinez to the point that he knocked him down, it wouldn't be too hard to maintain that pressure.
- Martinez did a wonderful job being awkward and landing fast, short, combo punches. He basically entered the zone that Hopkins produced in his match against Pavlik and outboxed the Youngstownian.

It's always great to see a new champ, but that usually wears off once they give up that lustre. It's just unusual to see Taylor & Pavlik both turn lame after they took the MW title.

 

Johnny Tapia vs Paulie Ayala I

On recommendation of Anarci. Glad I watched it. The action was as fluid of water and the punches rolled off the fists of each men like the 'R's' rolll of a spanish speaking toungue. Really nice fight, impressed with Ayala's basic approach as he kept his hands high worked hard and landed some nice counters

Tapia: 1,5,7,8,9
Ayala 2,3,4,6,10,11,12
Total:115-113 Ayala (7-5)

Ayala UD12 Tapia

 

Watch the rematch if ya can GPate...tell us who you thought won.

 

Will seek it out WAR

The first fight really could have went either way IMO

 

:thumbsup

 

I knew you would like it Ring named it FOTY.

I thought the first fight could have gone either way too. A draw would have been fair.

Tapia definitely won the 2nd fight but they gave it too Ayala.

 

I rewatched and rescored two of my favourite fights last night:


Pac-Marquez II

R1: 10-10
R2: JMM 10-9
R3: Pac 10-8
R4: Pac 10-9
R5: JMM 10-9
R6: JMM 10-9
R7: Pac 10-9
R8: JMM 10-9
R9: Pac 10-9
R10: Pac 10-9
R11: JMM 10-9
R12: JMM 10-9

TOTAL: Pac 114, JMM 114


Duran-Leonard 1
Duran: 1,2,3,4,8,9,10,11,12
Leonard: 5,6,7,13,14,15
Duran 9-6, 144-141

 

I watched 6 rounds of Harold Johnson vs Eddie Machen, then my DVD player exploded. Will watch it again, possibly tonight.

Ok watched it all. Been a brilliant day today.

Absoloutly brilliant fight, especially from a technical and tactical stand point. Both guys demonstrated a mastery of the fundamentals and used them superbly. I loved how each man would jab then step to their left -to negate the opponents jab. They woul parry with the right hand then come over the top with it. Just some really classy moves by both men. Johnson at the end of the 3rd round slipped a Machen right and came in with a right uppercut to the body, superb piece of scientific boxing.

Both guys were counter-punchers so it was an edgy affair, fought out in the centre of the ring. But both guys kept busy and showed tremendous skills. Although depite this amazingly high skill level on display, it was at odds with a recent thread of McGrain's saying 'Only a sucker gets hit with a right lead.' Well both guys (especially Machen) actually sucessfully used right leads.

Johnson tended to get off first more but at times got over-anxious and was countered, which led to him losing rounds. By getting of first, I meant landing, he would draw Machen in then snap a hard counter jab out. Another factor in Johnsons win is that he was prepared to throw combinations when Machen opened up and this led to him getting the 'last word' in most trade-offs.

But Machen was good, he looked the faster man. He countered brilliantly with right hands, especially in the mid-late rounds, over Johnson's jab, which srprised me as Machen is reknowned as being 'one handed'.

Johnson: 1,2,3,5,8,10
Machen: 4,6,7,9
Total: 96-94 Johnson (6-4)

Johnson W10 Machen

Also watched Denny Moyer vs Teddy Wright I.

This was a scrappier affair as Wright looked to force and crowd, to deny Moyer room. Wright did this sucessfully and kept a high workrate but too often gave Moyer the room he needed to use his imagination.

I thought it was a case of Wright dragging Moyer down, and I felt Moyer showed more in the fight. I liek the way he varied his left hand up, to establish angles and bring in the right lead, but his sucess was only when he got the room. Thought Moyer should have got the decision.

Moyer: 2,3,5,6,9
Wright: 1,4,7,8,10
Total: 95-95 Draw (5-5)

Wright SD10 Moyer

Harold Johnson vs Oakland Billy Smith, very lucky I have this and didnt even realise I had it. Johnson starts well in the first but Smith is awkward and there is some un-aesthetically pleasing moments but Johnson is looking alright. In the second it is more of the same but Smith manages to step forward and gets Johnson on the ropes. As Smith steps in he drops his left shoulder to 'show' the left hook but quickly turns it into a right hand onto Johnsons chin. Johnson slow-mation runs/falls and reahces the other side of the ring and is counted out. He does get up after the count but looks hurt. Really good finish by Smith.

Smith WKO2 Johnson

I also watched Harold Johnson vs Von Clay. Johnson is in controll from the start but Clay is rangy and looks an awkward customer with his sneaky jab, but Johnson's punching power is bothering Clay and Clay dosent have anything to combat it. He is dropped badly on the bell of the first. And the second round Johnson goes into punchers mode, and he really is brilliant. Really impressive punching form, and looks a brilliant boxer-puncher. He then drops Clay three more times to force an automatic stoppage.

Johnson WTKO2 Clay

Also watched one of my old favrouites. Alexis Arguello vs Alfredo Escalara. One of Arguello's finest performances. Early on Arguellos punching power is the difference, as Escalara is making the boxing even but Arguello is hurting Escalara with his shots, but Escalara is always game and coming forward with awkward angles. It pays off late in the rounds as he hurts Arguello and starts to outwork him and land harder shots but Arguello comes back well and looks to be in command at the finish.

Arguello: 1,2,4,5,6,7,8,11
Escalara:3,9,10,12 KD'd 2
Total: 116-111 Arguello (8-4)

Arguello WTKO13 (cuts) Escalara

I then watched highlights of the second fight between Billy Graham and Joey Giardello. Looked to be an excellant fight with Graham being craftier and showing good skills but a young Giardello showed brilliant combinatiosn and counter punches, and seemed to be the harder puncher.

Graham impressed me with his feints setting up all his work and everything worked off the jab, a real well-schooled guy. His defence was very good but not showy, it did its job as he parried and looked for his own openings. He also showed a very good inside game as he out-worked an inexperianced Giardello on the inside.

Giardello looked fantastic early, for me he was drawing Graham on then landing hard counter-punch combiantions that had some steam on them. His sharpness and accuracy really impressed me, as well as his own defensive and counter-punching skills. He worked well but seemed to lose his focus he had early and allowed Graham to drift into the fight and take over. Both guys showed a wonderful jab, but IMO Giardello's was better.

From the highlights, Giardello got the early rounds with harder punching and his combinations. He looked snappy and sharp in his punching and looked to be the ring general as he lured Graham onto these combos. Butas the fight progressed Graham warmed to the task and Giardello lost his way abit allowing Graham to take over with some good jabbing and defensive work. I thought Graham was the ring general but Giardello was still landing the harder shots. By the end though Graham bossed the last few rounds with combiantions and good in-fighting.

A really good fight between two brilliant technicians and craftsmen.

 

My post on the British forum on Hasegawa-Montiel- (copied an pasted)

round 1- Montiel starts well, i could have given him the round but Hasegawa earned it from me just about because he was working with Montiel throughout and then just anatched it at the end.

round 2- Hasegawa has a big round, throwing his shots more than one at a time, which i expected, so Montiel doesn;t get a chance to counter.

round 3- Hasegawa looks quality in actually putting Montiel out of his comfort zone by countering his shots, slipping them and hitting Montiel with single accurate ones, which Montiel is used to doing himself, Hasegawa wins the round on generalship.

round 4- Montiel tries to tighten his defense up, Hasegawa back to his regular self, Montiel loading up on his shots, BANG

 

Amen.

It's a real pleasure to watch Harold do his magic. Just think of all the paper champs we've had since like 88 and the boxing world of 4 champions. Now think about those trying to solve Harold Johnson. It seems like to me anyway, any good defensive fighter at this weight seems to have a real good career these days.

This fight illustrates one big thing though. those old pro's just went to something else. and they sure didn't need their corners yelling at them to do it. They saw it themselves and adjusted. You just don't see adjustments anymore and it seems like a long lost art and certainly a skill underappreciated.

 

Johnson vs Machen?

Thing with Johnson is he is almost perfectly textbook, so you think you should be able to figure him out. Nope, he will adjust and adapt to you.

Good observation on the adjustments by both men, really great to watch.