What's your style? -adding and subtracting tangibles and making your call based on analysis or going by your gut? The head or the heart?
Head. :yep My pick is not always right . . . but it's based on my own analysis taking into consideration fighting style, stamina, ability to absorb punches, size difference and fighting heart.
I guess the question I should've asked is which is usually right. I sometimes think I have it down mentally and some strange thing happens but my first gut feeling as to the outcome is usually always right. Robberies not withstanding. My gut told me Mosley would beat Marg, Cotto would beat Mosley, Clottey would beat Cotto (hem, hem), Hatton would lose to Mayweather and Pac and that he would beat Castillo, Lazcano, Malignagghi, that Bhop would beat Pavlik and yet lose to Calzaghe. And yet, and yet my HEAD told me DLH would murder Pac.
Both. I sometimes watch the fighters' previous fights and I go for feel. Then I do a post-pick analysis.
Checking their most recent fight video, if available Checking each fighter's performance in the last 8 months (to 1 year, if not too active) Checking their vital stats (height, weight, reach, etc.) Checking their history of KO losses and their opponent's KO percentage Checking their world and country rankings Checking where the fight will be held
I always go with my heart which has turned out to make me look like a fool in Pac's last two fights. Nothing against Pac, he has just been fighting my favorite fighters. Which is why he may make me look like a fool again against Cotto, but I will still pull for Cotto, a.k.a who I want to win. But it did me wonders in Hopkins vs. Pavlik, actually managed to call that one right, just going by heart.
... heh hem. you should have known that clottey would outbox cotto without knocking him out therefore being a prime target to be robbed. point blank it was easy to asses that the fight would be close enough without a ko. twas obvious cotto would take a decision. sorry to make an example out of that. nothing personal. i believe i'm within what is propper considering you put it out there. it helps illuminate my next point. the more research the better. ability to asses talent is the most important element. however, it can't stop there. for example i was convinced malignagi would outbox diaz without scoring a k.o..that said i expected he would get robbed. then paulie spoke before the match about his perdicament. his action made me wary that the judges may be disuaded from going thru with the fix. so instead of picking a winner, i predicted what i knew which was that the fight would go the distance. turned out to get better odds than picking diaz who was a heavyer fav.
well, to avoid looking unattentive, i'll take the liberty of trying to answer the specific thread question. the mind has got to be the boss but the heart can't be ignored and should act as a checker. when faced with the problem of having my heart be in conflict with my mind, the decision is simple. in that situation, i can't bet. in other words heart and mind have to be in agreement before i'll put money on it. it helps that usually, not always, 99% of the time i tend to root for whowever i actually think is going to take it. most often wether or not i think a fighter is good is the factor that makes me like them. in contrast, the fighters nationality, race, or religion is never ever of relevance. how a fighter carries himself outside the ring. ie does he talk alot, alittle, is he a saint or a criminal, that can make a difference over wether i like them or not. i'd describe myself as a very tolerant person and so avoid making judgements based on gossip or heresay.
Am I the only one that lucidly visualizes the fight as it plays out in my mind after deep reflection on all the facts about both participants and viewing footage of their most recent respective outings? :huh
