the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

Anyone who didn’t like Saad just doesn’t like boxing

Or people.

 

Mike, I watched this about 2 years ago and loved it. You and I are in agreement on what happened. The only difference was that I scored it on the Philly 5 point must and I actually did give Saad that 2 point round in the 2nd. Great fight.

Richie Kates v Matt Franklin (Matthew Saad Muhammad) - Philly's 5 point must system

Round 1: 5-4 Franklin
Round 2: 5-3 Franklin (although the knockdown was disallowed, Franklin battered Kates somewhat for the extra point on my card)
Round 3: 5-4 Franklin
Round 4: 5-3 Kates (scored a knockdown)
Round 5: 5-3 Franklin (scored a knockdown)
Round 6: Franklin drops and stops Kates

Total through 5 completed rounds: 23-19 Franklin (actual scores not known)

Man, did these two go at it. About that 2nd round. Although ruled a slip, from the angle of the viewer, it sure looked like a knockdown to me, but it is what it is. Great contest and another miracle comeback from that 4th round by Miracle Matthew.

 

I don't know why I don't like using the 5 point must system, lol. What do you/did you think of the system?

 

The California 1 point system, the 5 point system and the 10 points system were all the same. They still tallied up exactly the same and got you where you wanted to go. All far better than the confining rounds system used in NY and NJ. I simply use whatever scoring system was in place just so my score reflects what the other officials were seeing. In this case, scores weren't available so it really didn't matter. But I do like the 10 point system best.

 

This.

 

I'd be quite interested to see how you score ODLH vs John John Molina i thought this was a pretty close fight from memory, it's not the best of fights action wise so i can't recommend watching it if you're expecting a good fight. But it's an interesting one to score and ODLH has to dig deep in the 12th round to pull it out.

 

I'll definitely check it out, D. I remember this era well. When Oscar was jr. lightweight champ, I wanted to see him fight Leija, Molina and Hernandez. And he did. But not until he moved up to 135 and they were still jr. lightweights. It just left a bad taste that he was feasting on little guys. It took me a long time to come around to actually liking DeLaHoya as a fighter. BTW, if you want to see a good fight with Molina, I do recommend his fight with Juan Lazcano. Not the best quality of film but you'll love the fight.

 

I've not see that one before I'll be sure to check it out soon!!!

 

So last night I was geared up to watch the second fight between Emile Griffith and Nino Benvenuti. I have never seen any of their 3 fights and this one looked like it had decent film quality and I know at least one of them won Ring's Fight of the Year. A lot of trepidation here because I remember Nino's bout against Luis Rodriguez, which was woeful. Well, I gave it a go and after 6 rounds I said, 'that's all!' Oh, man what a clinch-fest. Suffice to say Nino's is a style I just do not enjoy. However, I did see another fight that interested me. So here we go with...

Joey Archer v Blair Richardson (NY rounds scoring)

Round 1: Even
Round 2: Archer
Round 3: Archer
Round 4: Archer
Round 5: Archer (I noted that this was the first decisive round on my card)
Round 6: Archer
Round 7: Archer
Round 8: Archer
Round 9: Even
Round 10: Archer

Total: 8-0-2 Archer (actual scores: 8-2, 8-2 and 8-1-1 all for Archer)

This was a decent match. Richardson was just enough of a banger to make it interesting on the constantly moving Archer. Man, let me tell you, Archer's footwork was impeccable. He could use every inch of that ring and be in your face with his jab and combos in a mili-second and he knew how to entertain. I've been hesitant to watch his fights with Griffith only because I'm unsure how the styles meshed. Anyone see them?

 

Michael Ayers v Colin Dunne

I saw this fight on live TV when it happened in late 1996 and was blown away. I found it on YouTube this week after having searched for it plenty of times before - was absolutely thrilled that I’d get to watch it for the first time since I saw it back then.

My memory of the fight was that Dunne started strongly before Ayers worked his way into the fight and ground Dunne down. That’s sort of how it happened but Ayers always looked a bit stronger and sharper with his punches. Still, it was a cracking contest from the very start with zero feeling out period.

Michael Ayers never really rose to genuine world level (he was IBO lightweight champ) after losing to Giovanni Parisi but he was an outstanding fighter at a British/European level who had a nice style, was tough as hell and fought in entertaining fights (the first Wayne Rigby fight is on another level). And that is more than enough to recommend him so please go ahead and watch this one!

 

Do you know if Rigby-Ayers is out there for viewing? I met Wayne back in 1992 on my lone trip to the UK. I was staying in Manchester (dating a girl who was an exchange student at university there) and wanted to find a boxing gym so set out and finally located Collyhurst and Moston’s Lads Club and met the delightful trainer Brian Hughes (RIP). Wayne had at the time I think one or two fights and I remember working out with him that day (as in sharing floor space to shadow box, swapping off on punch bags).

Also met Pat Barrett (he was the star of the gym) and they had a very, very gifted I think bantamweight who seemed like a surefire prospect but was, according to Brian, irregular in his training habits and maybe had some out-of-ring issues of some sort. Name like Dermoddy maybe?

Anyway, Wayne was as nice as he could be in welcoming me and asked me a few questions iirc about boxing in America, what our gym was like and such. If there’s video of him in a good fight, I’d like to revisit that memory by watching.

On that same trip I was keen to go see a fight in the UK and boxing was in its ‘off season’ I was told. Bought a Boxing News and saw like the only two fights happening while I was there was a WBO flyweight title bout in Scotland, which I could not make, and a sort of club show in Hull. I somehow tracked down the promoter of the Hull show by phone and told him I was an American in country and I’d really like to go to his show. He told me it was sold out, a black tie fundraiser at a very plush hotel, but asked my name and said he’d leave it at the door and if I could get there the doorman would let me in and I could watch standing or grab a seat if I saw one available after all the patrons were seated. He also stressed that I had to wear dress clothes, a white shirt, a tie and a black dinner jacket. I was far from rich and didn’t bring dress clothes, so I went to a store … maybe a Tesco’s? … and got some slacks and a white shirt and a tie. Black dinner jackets were well out of my price range but I had brought a black leather jacket so figured I’d give it a try. Took a train, got a room at at bed and breakfast and set out. Well I found a bus that took me to the hotel, walked up and the doorman had a good laugh at my ‘black dinner jacket’ and called the promoter over and asked if he should let me in — told him I’m the American who called him and he looked me up and down and said ‘I guess that will have to do’ and admitted me. Tony Booth fought on the show. Also met Brendan Ingle and his young cruiserweight protege Johnny Nelson, who were very nice indeed. Promoter actually sat me on a seat at a judge’s table and during an intermission had the ring announcer introduce me as ‘coming all the way from America just to see this fight,’ haha.

Same trip we went to Liverpool to take the Beatles tour and we stopped in a restaurant to grab lunch. In the same mall/shopping center we passed a sign saying featherweight champion Paul Hodkinson would be on hand at 1 pm iirc to sign autographs at a men’s clothier. We went and ate and finished about 12:30 but had to be at a bus at 1 to start the tour. As we were walking by, Hoko is standing inside with his WBC green belt in tow. I stuck my head in the door and said how I wished I’d be able to be there at 1 but we had to catch our bus, I was a boxing fan from America on tourism, and Paul talked to the owner and got him to let us in and take pictures and chat for a bit.

So it was quite the boxing trip for me to get a taste of the sport in the UK and meet some cool boxing folk.

 

Awesome memories, Pat.

 

I was in Manchester throughout the 90s and Craig Dermody was a good BW fighter back when you were there, but quit the ring before he really established himself I seem to recall.
Great reading those memories

 

D, I checked this out today. Can't recall if I saw it before but fully remedied here.

Oscar DeLaHoya v John John Molina (lightweight title)

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

Total: 115-115 Draw (actual scores: 116-111, 116-111 and 117-110 all for DeLaHoya)

First of all, I agree with most everything you said about this. It won't go into the annals as a great fight because of the constant holding. However, I found enough in this fight to keep my interest. And yes, I agree, this was a damn close fight. Forget those official scores, they went with the money man here IMO. Molina took Oscar to school here. He simply roughed him up. I heard Oscar say in the post-fight interview that he did not fight an intelligent fight, and he did not. I don't think Robert Alcazar could offer much insight to Oscar on what to do with Molina's mugging tactics. I don't know how much longer he remained as trainer but I think they were bringing in Jesus Rivero as the next trainer and this may have had something to do with it. Aside from all that, I still enjoyed the fight and it took Oscar to the next level. Molina was no domino - set to fall over - he fought hard and good. BTW, Harold Lederman had Molina up by 1 point on his card at the end, which again tells you about those lop-sided scores for Oscar.

 

Awesome stuff, Pat! And yes, Ayers-Rigby is out there. In fact, it’s right here and it’s a brilliant fight:

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