Joshua vs Povetkin This fight was far more competitive than I remembered it being. Povetkin had some real success getting inside and countering Joshua. Joshua keeps his composure though and manages to start tagging Povetkin from range, ultimately knocking him out. Very good scrap and really underlines Joshua's place at the top of the division, as well as underlining his vulnerability. Wlad dropped him, Whyte and Pov hurt him. As big a shock as the Ruiz loss was, its amazing how much evidence there was that this was coming.
I didn't realize they fought each other. Thanks for bringing this one up. Hard to score this fight in any other way than how you scored it. Martinez fought well and, as you said, Navarrete was sloppy. Two notes, that sure is a young sounding 25 year old Jimmy Lennon Jr introducing the fighters and I thought it was a perfectly timed stoppage by referee Marty Denkin.
Jel, although never having put pen to paper on this one, I recall seeing your post and had it penciled in for awhile. Here we go: Muhammad Ali v Joe Frazier III (heavyweight title) 5 point must system in effect Round 1: 5-4 Ali Round 2: 5-5 Even Round 3: 5-4 Frazier Round 4: 5-4 Ali Round 5: 5-4 Ali Round 6: 5-4 Frazier Round 7: 5-4 Ali Round 8: 5-4 Frazier Round 9: 5-4 Frazier Round 10: 5-5 Even Round 11: 5-4 Ali Round 12: 5-4 Frazier Round 13: 5-4 Ali Round 14: 5-4 Ali Round 15: Frazier's corner retires him just before the bell for 15 Total through 14 completed rounds: 65-63 Ali (actual scores: 66-62, 66-60 and 67-62 all for Ali) Peering through a pair of impartial eyes rather the eyes of an Ali fan, which I was, this fight was damn close. What made it closer in my eyes than say that of Don Dunphy is that Ali may have started a round well, but invariably ended up on the ropes where Frazier was at home. You can do that against a Foreman, but Frazier was more machine than human and would just pound you all day. I felt Joe would steal a round while Ali was dawdling on the ropes. That's in my view anyway. I probably didn't think that way in '75, but I gotta call them the way I see them. Good revisiting the Thrilla.
Interesting point on Ali rope-a-doping and how it was perceived then vs. now (though the same eyes even). People watch some of Ali’s fights today and don’t see how he won vs. Shavers or Young. Watching then it seemed pretty plain to me (and more recently I still think he edged Shavers and cannot abide giving a man a fight where he literally ducks through the ropes to avoid punches). It’s a matter of perception. And also in those days it was the norm to give the champion the round if it was close — the idea was you had to take the title from the champion, not that they walked into the ring with blank slates. There’s a long period of time where the heavyweight title simply did not change hands by decision. You can argue that it shouldn’t have been that way, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t that way.
Tae Shik Kim vs Antonio Avelar It was a great short fight. Tae Shik Kim again competed in a brutal two round slugfest. Round 1: Just like in his fight against Ibarra, he went in attacked 100% offensively firing multiple combinations to the body and to the head onto his opponent. They both exchange in a high paced slugfest that got the crowd cheering. - Kim Round 2: Kim again went in aggressively attacking his opponent, but this time he went to the body more. Avelar had to wether a murderous assault but quickly came back with non stop punches to Kim's head scoring heavily with left hooks, right hooks and uppercuts. A left hook would ultimately end the fight as Kim quickly turn his back while shooking his head, signaling the referee that he wants no more. Avelar came with a left hook from behind and drop Kim flat on the canvas. The fight ended with Kim on the floor, dead tired and unable to continue. - Knockout It was a terrific fight and I highly recommend you watch it now: This content is protected
I've often heard about this fight but great actually seeing it. Terrific fight. I wonder what size those gloves were? Gloves should be commensurate with the weight class, but these looked like mittens on the two fighters.
Bobby Chacon vs Bazooka Limon 4 Love this fight just a great back and fourth real war. Some of the round Bazooka started well and Chacon ended well. Round 1: 10 -10 Even Round 2: 10 - 9 Chacon Round 3: 10- 8 Limon Round 4: 10- 9 Limon Round 5: 10 - 9 Chacon Round 6: 10 - 9 Chacon Round 7: 10- 9 Limon Round 8: 10 - 9 Chacon Round 9: 10 - 9 Chacon (could have been 10-8) Round 10: 10- 8 Limon Round 11: 10 - 9 Chacon Round 12: 10- 9 Limon Round 13: 10 - 9 Chacon (another big round for Bobby) Round 14: 10 - 9 Chacon Round 15: 10 - 8 Chacon 143 - 140 Chacon. Epic fight love re-watching every now and then, great finish too.
Re-watched a couple Roman Gonzales fight his first fight with Sor Rungvisai and second fight with Estrada. Round 1: 10 - 8 Sor Rungvisai Round 2: 10 - 9 Sor Rungvisai Round 3: 10 - 9 Gonzalez Round 4: 10 - 9 Gonzalez Round 5: 10 - 9 Gonzalez Round 6: 10 - 8 Gonzalez (point deduction headbutts) Round 7: 10 - 9 Sor Rungvisai Round 8: 10 - 9 Gonzalez Round 9: 10 - 9 Gonzalez Round 10: 10 - 9 Sor Rungvisai Round 11: 10 - 9 Sor Rungvisai Round 12: 10 - 9 Gonzalez 114 - 112 Gonzalez did the better work appeared to be a lot more accurate but close fight. Gonzales vs Estrada 2 Round 1: 10 - 9 Estrada Round 2: 10 - 10 Even Round 3: 10 - 9 Gonzalez Round 4: 10 - 9 Gonzalez Round 5: 10 - 9 Gonzalez Round 6: 10 - 9 Estrada Round 7: 10 - 9 Estrada Round 8: 10 - 9 Gonzalez Round 9: 10 - 9 Estrada Round 10: 10 - 9 Gonzalez Round 11: 10 - 9 Estrada Round 12: 10 - 9 Gonzalez 115 - 114 Gonzalez again close fight although Estrada at the end did not look confident he did enough. Great fight.
Jeff Harding vs Tom Collins Round 1: Harding unexpectedly dropped Collins in the first round. Collins got up and had to wether the assault, and in the last 14 seconds of round 1.. Harding threw a 30 punch combination to the body and to the head. Collins shelled up effectively and the bell sounds ending a furious round one - Harding Round 2: Harding came to Collins and they had a quick exchange but Collins would later stagger Harding twice badly once with a right hand on top and once with a left hook. Harding tho wobbled, still showed willingness to trade and the two would compete in a grueling round 2 - Collins Round 3: RTD. Collins was unable to continue. Thoughts: It was a great war. Very underrated, short fight with lots of back and forth action. I again highly recommend to watch it now considering the fight only lasted two rounds. Here it is: This content is protected
I haven't seen this one in years. An awesome two rounds. One of the announcers referred to Collins as a lazy fighter. And I feel this was true. It wasn't so much that Harding's attack was so fierce, it was just that he never let up. He was in Collins' face relentlessly. Collins was the type of fighter that wanted to step back, target the chin and then let go a right hand. Harding just wouldn't give him breathing room. But if you wish to see another good fight with Collins, check out his fight with Mark Kaylor. Another good one.