the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

Love me some Pendleton! Nice write up as usal

 

One other thing about Page, there rumours of him dropping DeLaHoya in sparring and him being sent home. I did a search on him in this forum and that popped up a few times and rang some bells.

 

Livingstone Bramble v Santos Cardona (NABF jr. welterweight title)

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

Total: 118-111 Cardona (actual scores: 118-109, 116-111 and 114-114 for a majority decision to Cardona)

This bout was t*t-for-tat boxing and anyone watching it I would just say put your pens down and just enjoy the fight. So many tight rounds here. Cardona throws the most punches and Bramble throws the more substantial. Cardona is not a puncher, but due to his long, lanky arms, he throws whip-like shots with great leverage behind them. He was best from the outside with those straight shots, but even on the inside where one would think Bramble would do his best work, Cardona's hooks were thrown with a wide arc, thus gaining momentum when they landed. Bramble, on the otherhand, was just never the same after the Rosario KO. And in this fight, he was simply outworked but still showed great heart to the final bell. I enjoyed the fight very much but hated scoring it.

 

BTW, Happy New Year everyone.

 

Happy New Year, Scar! Hope you and your family have a great 2022.

 

Watched Jofre-Harada 1 again today, although didn’t bother with a card (scored it 145-142 and 144-143 Harada on the other occasions I’ve watched it). Such a brilliant fight. One of the best of any on film between two ATGs fighting in their primes.

 

Rafael Marquez KO 8 Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson

This was their second fight. It was just okay, with Marquez cautiously aggressive and Johnson looking very unsure and tentative with the exception of rounds 4 and 5. To be honest, he fought with the look of a man waiting for the roof to cave in. Eventually it did.

1. Marquez
2. Marquez
3. Even
4. Johnson
5. Johnson
6. Marquez
7. Marquez (10-8, with the knockdown)
8. Marquez drops Johnson twice and the ref waves it off after the second.

It was a cautious tactical battle through the first six, with the (somewhat) more aggressive Marquez making the fight. After the knockdown at the end of the 7th though, it was over. The knockdown seemed to trigger something in Johnson, who went under rapidly in the following round. I won't go so far as to say he gave up, because the man was a professional and deserves credit for what he accomplished in his career. The look in his eyes after the first knockdown was telling though. It just had the countenance of a man that had had enough.

 

I watched Hearns-Cuevas last night.

No score necessary, but lord was that a coming out party. Everyone knew Thomas was a hot prospect but to do that to a guy who had been on a run of I think 10 defenses with nine KOs … wow.

If anything, Hearns started this one more afire than he did Hagler. And kept it up.

Emanuel Steward said later that his game plan was: Rounds 1-3 try to take him out; rounds 4-6 if he’s still there, box him; rounds 7-9 try to take him out.

Someone asked what the plan was starting with round 10 and Manny said, ‘There was no plan. No way they’d both still be standing. Somebody was going to get knocked out.’

 

Harold Brazier v Mickey Ward (12 rounds)

Checked this out today and to tell you the truth, this should be a highlight video on Brazier. All 3 judges scored it 118-110 for Brazier, which I thought was generous to Ward. I had it 120-110 for Harold, giving Ward only a share of rounds 1 & 12. Bending over backwards, the most I could have given him possibly was a share of the 2nd as well, but that's all. The commentators used the term 'workmanlike performance' many times during this fight in reference to Brazier. And that term was apt. Man, he just controlled it from the outside with his beautiful straight combos and worked the body on the inside like nobody's business. Harold Brazier was just an amazing contender with a 'Have gloves-will travel' attitude and its amazing he never picked up a strap with all the top fighters he bested along the way. Brilliant performance by Brazier, which is magnified by what Ward went on to do. No movies will be made on Brazier, but then again, there doesn't need to be as long as his fights are still out there for us to see.

 

Sal, when I watched this a couple of months back I had the exact same score as you (although 2 of our rounds were inverted) and I called it 'a good, tactical fight which had begun to heat up.' So we really saw it the same way. Good to see a fight the same. Don't know how the judges saw it, but wouldn't surprise me to see an oddball score.

 

Julio Cesar Chavez v Jose Luis Ramirez (WBA & WBC lightweight titles)

Round 1: 10-9 Chavez
Round 2: 10-9 Ramirez
Round 3: 10-9 Chavez
Round 4: 10-9 Chavez
Round 5: 10-9 Chavez
Round 6: 10-9 Chavez
Round 7: 10-9 Chavez
Round 8: 10-9 Chavez
Round 9: 10-9 Chavez
Round 10: 10-10 Even
Round 11: Fight is terminated after a clash of heads results in a cut on Ramirez' forehead that the Doctor deems stoppage-worthy. Note: 1 point is deducted from Chavez' score under WBC rules

Total: 98-92 Chavez (actual scores: 98-91, 96-94 and 95-93 all for Chavez)

Elephant in the room time; I never felt Ramirez was a real puncher. I know, I know that he has 80 KOs to his credit and he decked Arguello. But it really wasn't until I watched this fight and had a good comparison to see what is amiss here. And, IMO, I see that Ramirez is more of a relentless clubbing-puncher that would slowly beat you down, like he did in Rosario II or against Boza Edwards. Chavez, on the other hand, is a sharp puncher that could take you out with one if he let it rip. But there was no letting it rip here. This was 2 old friends getting together to make $900K apiece. They both lacked fire and it was obvious it was a glorified sparring session. Still I enjoyed watching them, but they never let it rip, so don't expect fireworks if watching.

On a sidenote, I don't know if this was the first and last time HBO used Kevin Rooney as an analyst, but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't ask him back. I don't remember seeing him ringside again unless he had a swab behind his ear. His high-pitched nasal NY accent combined with him talking over the Lampley/Merchant team probably didn't go over well. Butting in when he should have sat back and let the fight unfold a bit would have been the best way, but I would say he bruised some egos there. Anybody recall seeing him in the analyst's chair again?

 

After watching Harold Brazier earlier against Mickey Ward, his style has been sticking in my mind, so checked out a little bit more Harold Brazier today.

Meldrick Taylor v Harold Brazier

Round 1: 10-9 Taylor
Round 2: 10-9 Taylor
Round 3: 10-9 Taylor
Round 4: 10-9 Taylor
Round 5: 10-9 Taylor
Round 6: 10-10 Even
Round 7: 9-9 Even (scored it for Taylor but the ref deducted 1 point for a low blow)
Round 8: 10-9 Brazier
Round 9: 10-9 Taylor
Round 10: 10-9 Taylor

Total: 98-92 Taylor (actual scores: 99-90, 96-93 and another 96-93 all for Taylor)

Brazier was more pinpoint with his shots, but Taylor had the workrate. In the 8th Harold really looked like he was going to do something as he didn't throw as many as Meldrick but every shot jarred Taylor's head.

Harold Brazier v Joey Ruiz

Round 1: 10-10 Even
Round 2: 10-9 Brazier
Round 3: 10-10 Even
Round 4: 10-9 Brazier
Round 5: 10-9 Ruiz
Round 6: 10-9 Brazier
Round 7: 10-9 Brazier
Round 8: 10-9 Ruiz
Round 9: 10-9 Brazier
Round 10: 10-10 Even

Total: 98-95 Brazier (actual scores: 97-95 and 96-94 for Brazier and a 98-94 for Ruiz for a split win for Brazier)

A battle of the prospects. Both gutsy and both really let it hang out but Brazier's more accurate shots told on my card. I could watch Harold Brazier all day.

 

His fight with Pompey is terrific.

 

Sal, you're not underselling that. That was terrific. So was Brazier's second bout with John Wesley Meekins. Those are just two fights that made me a fan of his.

 

Brazier was just so throwback. I was also aghast at how much a person could torque his body and how much he could put on his shots without getting any power whatsoever on them (Pompey, I mean).