the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

Robbie Sims KO6 Iran Barkley . Quite a good fight . Quite action loaded although no KDs until d KO . Sims used a little more combinations than Barkley , whom tried just a little more than Sims 2 load on single big punches . Each man threw quite a lot in d fight , missing quite a lot but also landing . Even when Sims tried / thought about / was going 2 hold he eventually prefered retreating which he did maybe twice in d entire fight . Barkley retreated about 2 times d entire fight as well . There was no infighting like in d Barkley vs Toney and Hearns fights .

vs mutual opponents Sims did better vs Duran & Benn and of course KOd Barkley h2h . Barkley did better against Hearns .
I remember there was a thread here about Charles Williams vs Hearns and d majority picked Hearns 2 stop him . Charles Williams also outdid Barkley vs Toney & Maske , was slightly bigger and seemingly more durable but facts rarely taken in2 consideration here .

 

Today I watched Monzon - Gratien Tonna. An interesting fight, as it shows a potential blueprint for the way to beat Monzon, though Tonna does a poor job of it. His pressure in the first two rounds is good and throws Monzon off his game, but he swings wildly at Monzon's head most of the time, which the champion eludes in his typical "lean back and away then clinch" style. Not that it would have worked long-term, but Tonna would have been better served to shorten up his punches and slam away at the body instead of reaching so much at the head.

Te difference, as always, was Monzon's uncanny accuracy, that by the end of the third round had stopped the bullish Tonna in his tracks. Laser-like right hands and uppercuts ripped increasingly away at the challenger, who finally fell in the fifth from a right hand to the body followed up with a smashing right to the side/back of the head.

 

Johnny Famechon vs Fighting Harada I and II
I scored the first fight for Harada, fairl close but clear 143-139. Maybe a few swing rounds but clearly Harada for me.
The second fight, Famechon fought what I think is the blueprint fight against Harada. Very hard jab with plenty of movement. Enough movement to keep Harada at bay while not flatout running. But the consistently hard jab starts it followed by tight, short, hard combinations. Of course this was Harada's last fight, so I'm sure this was easier said than done against a prime Harada.

Milt McCrory vs Colin Jones II
I love these two fights. Great fights and great contrast in styles. McCrory should be remembered for these good efforts (or even the McCallum effort) rather than just being remembered for the Curry fight.
I had this one 115-113 McCrory. It's a shame these weren't 15 round fights. Jones might have gotten McCrory out of there, but it's not a given. Incredible effort by both guys in 100+ F heat.

 

Froch vs Bute

Wow, what can you say? Just a textbook case where everything that could go wrong with one fighter did. Bute let Froch set up too close to him, didn't do anything with his jab, didn't tie up effectively inside, didn't move in the right ways/direction to get out of the way of Froch's punches, he tried to go out aggressively in the early rounds (probably figuring that his speed advantage was everything he would need) when he was in with a guy he probably should have been fighting defensively, and he just couldn't take what Froch could dish out.

And when Bute encountered someone who he couldn't physically dominate for the first time, he had no answers or backup plans.

A meltdown on every level.

 

DLH vs Whitaker

was replayed last night on Fox(along with DLH/Vargas..
Very easy fight to score.

I had it 8-4 for DLH.

SweatPea only won two convicing rounds and the other two that I gave him could have gone either way.

ALl this "Pea was robbed" nonsenseatsch

 

Love Pea but gotta admit that he wasn't robbed against DLH. Still a fight that could've gone either way and I think I had it for Pea by a point. Not clear in any way don't know how you could see it that way but to each his own.

Someone spoke of Harada and I too watched a great BW in Jofre. Saw a highlight of Sanchez-Jofre and he was very skilled and mixed offense with defense well. Measured the pace well and could jab and hook to the body well. Sanchez was brave but the body punishment paid dividends against him and Jofre picked him apart. Can't take too much from him as I only recall seeing this and the Harada fights which I haven't seen in years. Worth watching though.

 

Just finished Curry-Starling I. Here's how I had it..........

Curry Starling

9 10
10 9
9 10
10 9
9 10
10 9
9 10
10 9
10 9
10 9
9 10
10 9


115 113


Starling had to be kicking himself here, as if he'd paid more attention to combination punching and less on leaning in on Curry and getting outworked he'd have come away with the verdict. He just didn't work hard enough.

Credit must be given to Curry though, who to be fair kept Starling honest by hammering Starling up the middle with hard jabs and straight rights. Good scrap.

 

I had it 114-114 but yes, Starling seemed to be letting his first TV audience see the Starling Stomp rather than his brilliant out.

 

Out of curiosity, was that in jabs thrown or landed? Because my primary memory was of Bute just kinda of reaching out with the jab most times, at best as a rangefinder, at worst as kind of half-feint, half pawing jab.

That said I won't be surprised much either way, because for the most part it seemed like Froch dispensed with the jab in favor of just bulling in with power punches when Bute either left himself open or got too close to the ropes.

Plan to rewatch Mayweather Cotto and DLH-Whitaker tonight and post my scores later.

 

This morning I saw RJJ-Mccallum again. Technical fight with Jones possibly carrying him a bit though Mccallum showed good defense against the much faster opponent. Most I've seen Roy use a jab since Paz too though MM's was much more consistent as was his bodywork. Underrated win and a good showing from both fighters. Kinda weird an older Mccallum did better than Hopkins & Toney but styles make, u know.

 

Shoji Oguma MD15 Chan-Hee Park (third meeting)

Watched this a while back when I only really knew of the reputations of these two, feel that now I've seen a fair bit of each (including their first fight but sadly not the second, details please chaps :good) I'm better prepared to assess what's going on.

OGUMA: 2; 3; 8; 9; 11; 12; 13; 15
PARK: 1; 4; 5; 6; 7; 10; 14;

These two technical and aggressive counter punchers were well matched, and Park clearly put more effort into the preparation here than he did in their first fight. Both favoured the straight back hand counter to get their varied offence going and both were game.

Very close fight IMO. They both fall in and head clashes happen frequently, though neither complain (for the most part) and it's Oguma who gets the worst of it, cut badly over each eye by the looks of it but horrifically over the left. Showed incredible grit to continue without complaint.

After 9 or so rounds of close back-and-forth I thought to myself 'I reckon with a straight head some of those swing rounds to go either way with each subsequent viewing'. Apt then, that after Oguma made a concerted effort to go to the body in the last 5 rounds (and Park just about nicked the 14th with sharper boxing than he'd managed nigh on wilting under Oguma's body assault in the rounds prior, even though Oguma did land some telling blows near the end of that round) that it came down to the 15th. Although Park tried, Oguma whipped in the body shots he threw with either hand well and it seemed to sap the last bit of life out of Park. One particular short right hand under the ribcage in the 11th (I think) had Park reeling, and his counter punching became more and more defensive, with little in the way of follow-up if he did land something clean.

Oguma twice tried to touch gloves with Park before it started and the ex-champ was having none of it. Some clean and well-timed right hands aside, Park was bossed around in the last round, and complained a fair bit.

A joy to watch.

Oguma-143-142 Park

 

Was Park at his very best in that fight?

Somehow I always thought he had a very short prime.

 

As well as a lack of training dedication at times, Park just didn't quite have the will or general mental toughness against a no-bull****, dedicated mentally strong fighter like Oguma who was always willing to be aggressive, walk through punishment and be dirty along with his good skills.It's the polite technical fights where he can excel.

The Oguma fights were really what sealed the deal on that line of thinking rather than Park being past it per se and after them i don't think he was even trying anymore.Park had his moment where he hinted at his potential in the 2nd and was unlucky there.I believe the third was controversial as well, i've never had an issue with it.