the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

That's why I always thought a corner makes a difference in a third of big matchups.

And a common theme is... it is almost exclusively the great corner wins. It's the other side that screws up. Still, why not prepare 100% and be 100% during the fight when you are facing Ray Leonard and Angie Dundee? Does anyone actually think that adds up to an easy night's work?

I was for Marvin going into that fight. But I sure do remember those stories of the Weaver triplets kicking Marvin's butt sparring a week or 10 days before the fight. I knew there was going to be a lot of wear and tear on Hagler after that Mugabi fight. But Marvin was the best in the sport at dominating sparring partners. Boy, did that make me back off any notions of putting more $$ on Hagler.

To make things worse, about 2 or 3 days after the Weaver story, I saw an interview with Angie. And he said his guy might even stop Hagler and Marvin would be walking into punches all fight. He was going to turn him and Marvin would walk into shots. Wow.


Man, did that ever resonate. Mugabi does nothing like that. He stands directly in front of everyone and wants to trade. Imagine if he used his feet to set a guy up to walk into his punches? But Angie had the right tactics and strategy and Marvin does not shine against boxer types anyway compared to sluggers.


Never did see much from the Petronelli's and their pre-fight. But I loved what Dundee said about his guy. And even with a layoff, it wasn't legs that were bad with Ray. I sure did not sense Marvin would be razor sharp--like he'd have to be--to pull of a tko5 type result.

I pictured just what angie said--walking into punches and Ray not standing his ground like a Mugabi or Hearns and Marvin being a step slow and fighting on rr tracks.

The only way to overcome that was plan B during the fight by the Petronelli's. I'm sure Angie had a plan B, although it was crystal clear he had done his scouting.

 

That's about how I saw it too. Young by a round. The thing that kept Kenny relevant in the scoring was the fact he was first and foremost a body puncher. That was his scoring. that oddball jab was not going to land enough against Young's tight defense. But going to that breadbasket did.

Speaking of which, not a whole lot of guys are going to absorb to the breadbasket for 45 minutes against Norton. Not many heavies absorb body punishment all taht well and it takes top conditioning to pull that off.

But if Norton was a headhunter like today's heavies, he would have dropped a lopsided decision to Young. He was not going to land those wide looping rights from way on the outside against this guy. His left jab was pretty much nuetralized by Jimmy and the sneaky straight right hand from Young was better than Norton's left hook.

You just could not discourage Norton from attacking that body with both hands though. 45 minutes. All fight and that's taking lots of shots to the kidneys and short ribs and not faltering.

There's not a lot of love for Norton and not a lot for Young either. But Norton is a tough matchup for Jimmy because he does not have the power to get Kenny out of there.

Tough sport when you're a 17-5 guy with 5 ko's on your dossier asked to go 45 minutes with Norton. You have to be in top shape especially considering Norton always was always in top condition himself.

Most folks like fights. This bout was boxing.

 

Not sure about the specific rounds themselves, but 8-6-1 Hagler was also my card. This, like Zarate-Pintor, is one of those that people like to harp on as the great scoring injustices in boxing history and it gets dramatically blown out of proportion in both instances. Both were close fights.

 

I scored it at the time and haven't seen it since. I had it 8-7 Hagler. No problem with the draw.

 

Here's one I've wanted to do for awhile. Never saw it before, so I wanted to sit down with pen and paper. The controversial John Conteh-Jesse Burnett light heavyweight fight over 10 rounds. Here we go.

Round 1: Burnett (scored a knockdown)
Round 2: Burnett
Round 3: Conteh
Round 4: Even
Round 5: Conteh
Round 6: Conteh
Round 7: Burnett
Round 8: Burnett (scored a knockdown)
Round 9: Conteh
Round 10: Burnett

In rounds I had it 5-4-1 Burnett, but I'm not sure of British scoring as it wasn't announced. Moreover, i don't know if they score extra points for a knockdown. Round 3 & 4 were very close and I can see anyone scoring an even round in the 3rd or either way in the 4th. Burnett did appear to be robbed, but if anyone can elaborate on the British scoring it would be helpful. Was there extra points allotted for a knockdown in the British scoring system?

 

Just watched Eusebio Pedroza in a tremendous performance against Juan Domingo Malvarez. Malvarez might sound familiar as the guy who dumped Danny Lopez early before getting stopped himself in the second round on the Ali-Spinks II undercard in New Orleans. There was no such drama against Pedroza.

Malvarez looks menacing enough early, clearly strong and powerful and resolute, intent on winging hard punches from every angle and just walking through the champion. In other words, he's an Argentine. Pedroza is careful early on, jabbing and moving beautifully and clinching when the brawny challenger gets in close. He also plays with lead rights often, though it seems he's settling in for a long afternoon, as Malvarez is unaffected by the punches and keeps marching forward.

In his prime, Pedroza really was something when eluding punches. Lithe and athletic, he twists and bends at the waist to ridiculous extents and his opponents are made to look slow and clumsy in their pursuit of his head. He's quite underrated in terms of slipping punches. Malvarez is dogged, but he just can't land anything, and Pedroza piles up points.

It's worth noting too, that Pedroza fights clean here, which is nice to see. Perhaps it's just that he doesn't feel threatened by Malvarez or it could be that he just picked that up as he got crotchety in his old age (I notice most of his fouling was done in the second half of his reign).

The fight goes on this way until round nine. Malvarez hasn't won a round, and keeps winging in hopes of something happening. Pedroza backs off and suddenly whips that bolo-like right uppercut and catches the challenger under the chin, dropping him heavily. He doesn't beat the count. Pretty cool looking knockout I must say.

 

Just watched Erik Morales vs Wayne McCullough I had it 9-3 in favor of El Terrible.

 

Gene Hatcher W15 Ubaldo Sacco

Fun fight, good action in this one, even if it got a bit sloppy late. This was Hatcher's first and only successful defense of the WBA junior-welterweight title he'd won from Johnny Bumphus six months earlier. Sacco was unknown to most, but proved well-schooled, Argentine-tough and very capable.

I have Sacco up 4-2 after six and it looks like a rough night for Hatcher to that point, with Sacco moving laterally and shooting crisp three and four punch combinations at Hatcher, who plods along and doesn't seem to be going to the body as he has in the past. He tries to match Sacco in ring center with combos to the head, and he's on the losing end of it.

The tide turns in round 7, with Hatcher finally getting the rhythm and imposing himself on the challenger. Rounds 8 and 9 are even more in favor of Hatcher, who really begins to rake now and pulls ahead for good.

Sacco hangs in, still scoring with two and three-punch flurries, but he's getting sloppy now as the pace of the fight begins to tell, and he isn't moving as much, which is exactly what a guy like Hatcher wants. Sacco is knocked down in the 11th from a half-knockdown half-slip right hand to the head, but it effectively puts him in the position of having to stop Hatcher to beat him.

Sacco trades fairly evenly with Hatcher down the stretch as both are tired and sloppy now, but it's Hatcher's day.

144-140 Hatcher.

 

Johnny Famechon KO14 Fighting Harada

This is my first look at Famechon, and I'm quite impressed. Tremendous conditioning, very educated left hand, great movement, and enough saltiness to get him through tough spots. Old school all the way.

Harada never really gets untracked, though in fairness he is 206 years old here. I give him only two rounds of the completed 13, and as the rounds mount Famechon sees more and more opportunities to find a home for his short counter hooks and uppercuts. Harada is knocked down in the 12th, battered at the end of the 13th, and given a standing eight in the 14th. His legs are gone, and Famechon knocks him through the ropes and onto the ring apron. For some reason, Harada's corner doesn't step in and he staggers to his feet again. The referee wisely calls it off at that point.

Very impressive stuff from Famechon to come into Harada's hometown and take charge like that. Similar in some ways to Rose's victory over Harada except that this version of Harada lacked the depth of earlier times and Famechon looked like he had more on his shots than Rose did.

 

Mosley never recovered from that.So cowed he lost the ability to let his hands go overnight.First talented heavy handed fighter he fought with a clear size edge on him and that inability to consistently integrate his offence and defence was ruthlessly exploited.the shoe was on the other foot from him boiling down and beating up guys that were closer to natural featherweights like Leija etc

If not for the entertaining Margarito beating, i'd have preferred to see him retired long before he did, as he stunk the place out with his new "style" for years.

 

Gonna watch Bradley v Pacman 1 again tonight, just catching up on Hollyoaks first.