Miguel Vazquez vs Denis Shafikov. IBF Lightweight title. 22-2-2014.

^^
Yes, because the Chinese have the highest standards when it comes to fight cards. They will only accept first rate challengers for Shiming, Zhong and the other Chinese stars.

There's lots of hate here for the atg crafty Mexican Hopkins

 

:deal

 

Or maybe Shafikov deserves some of the blame for flat out not being quite skillful enough to trouble Vasquez? I mean, if he was better, it could have been exciting. But he wasn't, he was worse (even though you picked Shaffy to win -- perhaps you overestimated his ability).

Or maybe you'd just prefer that boxing disallow ... boxing ... and make it all blood and guts -- enforced Gatti-style fights with lots of swinging and flailing and face-first brawling.

You can console yourself by playing Omar Figueroa and Brandon Rios and Provodnikov tapes on endless rewind, so you can watch "exciting" brawls to your heart's content.

 

I picked the challenger to win, and I don't even think Shaf fought that badly, really. Vasquez was just on point today.

And really...It wasn't nearly as boring as some Vasquez fights I've watched in the past. Vasquez maintained a decent work-rate and actually engaged with Shaf in close for periods in the fight. There weren't that many clean punches landed by either guy, but it fought at a faster pace than it could have been.

Either way...Vasquez and Arbil may not exhilarate...but the road to unquestioned supremacy at 135 goes through them.

 

It was not pretty but damn good win for Titere. Not a big fan of his style but this guy is for real!:deal

 

Credit to Vazquez. He fought the right fight and outboxed his man.

 

People who say Vazquezzzz fought right fight, you like Wladimir fights too?

 

Hoping a vazquez abril unification fight is in the works. PPV worthy for sure

 

I had it 118-110 to Vázquez.

For about five rounds to start out they were trading rounds back and forth, with Vázquez clearly taking all the odd-# rounds (the 1st, 3rd, and 5th all featuring his jab as the prominent scoring weapon between them, with his generalship of the ring preventing Shafikov from being very effective) and Shafikov just as clearly taking both of the even-# rounds (the 2nd and 4th seeing Vázquez tagged more often as Shafikov dove in and collided with him, taking away the jab for the most part)...but from the 6th on it was all Vázquez forcing Shafikov to respect his space with the jab and getting the best of the occasional short bursts of slugging with those wide two-handed uppercut combos. Shafikov just couldn't find a way to be consistently effective in the entire second half, unable to catch Vázquez on the outside due to his movement and height and equally impotent on the inside due to Vázquez's size and strength, clinching and uppercuts.

 

...also, I didn't find it all that boring, especially compared with past Vázquez outings. (and really, he is never as unbearable as some make out - to me, stiff in-and-out-and-round-again spokes-on-the-wheel jabbing and moving like he does still makes for prettier viewing than what a Richar Abril does, fish-flopping and clinging like saran wrap all night :barf)

Boom Boom Mancini hit the nail on the head, "styles make fights" applies to entertainment value as well as outcomes, and Shafikov had the right style to make Vázquez more entertaining than usual by forcing him to slug a bit more than he likes to. Hats off to Vázquez for competing outside his comfort zone and still getting the best of a very good fighter.

 

Way too much complaining in here. :verysad

Had people never seen Vázquez? :blood What exactly were the expectations?

Is everyone just bitter Shafikov could not beat him? :huh I picked Shafikov (though guardedly, thinking it would be close) and give Vázquez full credit. I thought he did a great job of boxing and fighting where he needed to.

 

I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it looked like maybe Wlad was a bit weight-drained at 135.

 

im watching it right now. i didnt expect miguel to be faster than him

 

Come on. That performance was downright fan-friendly compared with Klitschko vs. Povetkin - more than friendly, even. More like a shrink catching you in a vulnerable moment, putting a hand on your knee, a little too high up on your thigh...resting there, gently, like a harmless but tenacious little aphid on the uppermost tip of a stalk of dewy grass...whispering that in this room, you are safe. You can really...open up....

 

Harder (hitting), better, faster, stronger - he was goddamn one-man Daft Punk opus in there.