the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

Shane Mosley SD12 Oscar De La Hoya

Oscar, a 13-5 favourite, really needed this win; I think people forget that. He had just lost (been robbed as far as I am concerned) to Trinidad. Oscar actually considered retirement after this fight.

Mosley slings over the right hand in the first and robably does enough to take it with that punch; Oscar steadies him with the jab though and takes the sting out of that the fight.

Body punching is so important in this fight. They are looking for each other there. Mosley is a little busier. Oscar is flashing punches though and makes Mosley careful. He takes the second round just by deploying his attack; both are doing so, Mosley looks a little controlled by Oscar though.

Two right-hands for Mosley in the opening minute of the third, which starts tame. Oscar moving in with small moves looking for big punches. Oscar has centre-ring though - but I think the Mosley right shades the round. Punch stats favour Oscar. Oscar lands the left to the body early doors in the fourth but Mosley returns that punch, and he's still working with the right hand, although he might be landing behind as Oscar ducks to his right to take the sting from the punch. Scoring punches. They kind of rule each other out with their offence; they keep one-another from doing what they want. I have it even after four, not in keeping with the generally reported narrative of the fight.

Oscar doesn't want to throw the left because of the Mosley right; Mosley isn't jabbing because he knows he will be out-jabbed. But Mosley starts in with that flicking jab early in the fifth. Important strategically. Oscar is busy with his left at mid-range though. Mosley lands a nice right uppercut, a great changing punch because it's not on the tabel in terms of their stragetic negitiation. Mosley maybe has more ability to improvise in this fight and it coculd be thre reason he gets the decision. But Oscar lands a great left hook in the final minute and I think it buys him the round. Mosley giving ground in small stages.

Mosley out-bustles Oscar in a tame sixth and i have it even at the half-way stage. Oscar is made to miss early in the seventh; Mosley scores a couple of shots to take advantage and operates his jab. Oscar, sometimes, can get locked into pressure - "I'm giving pressure" - here, he forgets his jab because of it a bit. Mosley doesn't ahve brilliant feet but thery are good enough to make distance. He sucks it up to the body though. The seventh is desperately close. Mosley is the general but I think that Oscar maybe sneaks it.

Mosley's father warns him between rounds not to be "tight" but he is tight. He always boxed tight. Oscar is trying to jab in 8. Mosley takes it away with retreat and then tries to out-snipe Oscar up close. He's also capable of springing the occasional jab-surprise. Mosley turns southpaw and is just weaving something interesting here, making Oscar static. Another very close round. I think Mosley. 4-4.

Both look disorganised at the beggining of the eighth. This favours Mosley a bit. Oscar doesn't do well when befuddled, he has great heart but likes things his way tactically. He looks static. Mosley is scoring punches, moving off, not exactly Sugar but yeah it makes him the better general here. Mosley looks more gathered and it wins the round for him.

Mosley looks fresher and it is taking the difference; he's even landing with the jab. I now have Oscar needing 11 and 12 to draw. Mosley wins the eleventh - and what a lovely twelfth. World-class squabbling ring-centre. Mosley lands the harder stuff - he wins this fight clear for me.

Mosley:1,3,6,8,9,10,11,12.
De La Hoya:2,4,5,7.

Interestingly, I scored this fight before for this thread - and had the same score, but I also had different rounds.

 

Pernell Whitaker D12 Julio Cesar Chavez

Whitaker did this job in front of 60,000 partisan fans; even the kid who butchered the US anthem seemed to shout something along the lines of "come on Chavez!" at the end of his squall

I thought Chavez just about nicked the first with a couple of sweeping right hands in the early charges. You get away with these early sometimes and you just know that's going to dry up; still he lands two legitimate bodypunches too and Whitaker is just trying to get his jab going, giving ground, using those feet. In the second, Chavez did well again, for as long as he keeps that offence compact he is finding his man. Whitaker is having most of his success with that left, hooking it square and throwing it long. Very tense atmosphere; crackled Whitaker's head back with a left and then landed rights up and down right at the bell to take the round.

Chavez landing borderline low early in the third, hanging low himself. Whitaker suddenly looks a pace ahead somehow! Whitaker has his jab going but Chavez is still barelling in and doing enough. I think this round is closer than indicated in commentary. I think it could readily be scored for Chavez. But I do think Whitaker nicked it in the final fifteen seconds with two good punches and even without those punches he might grab it on generalship - he has Chavez in hand now and it's up to Chavez to break that hold.

Both landed low in the fourth, both warned a couple of times. Fight's getting dirty; Chavez moving off, shows a nice counter but gets labelled with a one-two. Interesting role reversal - it really souits Sweet Pea. Whitaker is landing and making Chavez miss.

All square after four. It's Chavez who has to find it.

Wow, Chavez comes out swinging in the fifth. Impressive against this opponent. Whitaker, almost equally as awesome, doesn't give a **** and he's just throwing straight punches. This jab is finding his way home now. He hangs that right so loose, he keeps it mobiel and he seems to throw, as a rule, at its narrowest distance from the target. Slap those titties. You know, he's just getting pop-popped out of that early lead. We hare headed into clinic territory, a no-contest on the outside, out-working Chavez up close. I have the fifth to Whitaker; commentary has it to Chavez.

Chavez taking the right approach in the sixth "hitting anything". Whitaker replies in kind, going low. This fight is pretty filthy. Double right hab to the head, left hand to the body from Whitaker very cool head. Then he hits Chavez right in the *****. Nice. Not for Chavez. I think Whitaker is just "hitting him back" but Chavez is hitting round the size - hips etc. Whitaker's just going for the *****. Jack Russell. Desperately close round but i'm going to give it to Chavez.

So I have this one even after six really tense interesting rounds boxed at high level - but it feels, to me, like Whitaker is getting geared up to run away with this.

Chavez wants to be busy. Whitaker is holding his ground though and practically daring him. He's also weaving his punches together though he's doing some missing too. He is masterful though. The punches he lands are winning punches. Chavez is knotted.

Hitting Chavez with long uppercuts in the eighth. That is a crazy shot to throw against this guy and for Whitaker it's just gravy. He can escape the ropes by dropping his shoulder. Ah, beautiful. But Chavez takes the pain in the ninth to land the right hands he needs to win rounds. He is still in this fight.

"The hammer is on the other foot." - Bobby Csyz.

Whitaker is really magical down the stretch though. What an engine he has. I don't think anyone -ever- is better at drawing his man in with small moves then vanishing on the angle, stepping just outside and drilling a guy who is flapping at nothing. He rarely misses a chance to punch and fashions many out of nothing. Chavez looks tired and dis-spirited.

WHITAKER:3,4,5,7,8,10,11,12.
CHAVEZ:1,2,6,9.


116-112 Whitaker. Pretty close to being a flat-out robbery by my eye.

 

Pernell Whitaker SD12 Wilfredo Rivera

Referee looks like a lunatic.

Rivera looks big. Wide, deep stance probably helps with that. He also looks unintimidated and ready to punch. He's up for throwing the second punch which is so so important with Whitaker i think. Whitaker looks a tiny bit dis-organised in the face of this height-and-reach disadvantage in conjunction with that long stance. Rivera is interesting in dealing with Whitaker's angles - he's looking to lean back a little bit and fight the right hand to the body and he's landed a couple of times too. He's not getting anything like the credit he deserves in commentary. But yeah, Whitaker 2-0.

Brilliant right hands to the body from Rivera, wonderful, wonderful punch. Bad cut on Rivera's head though from a clash of heads. Whitaker dominated the final 75 seconds to take the round which is a shame.

Rivera, wonderfully, has gone southpaw to protect the cut on the other side of his face and Whitaker looks a tiny bit spooked; must be hard training for a normal and getting a wrong. But the round is very closely contested until Whitaker starts slinging a bit, taking some middling punches himself but dominating.

This is one of those fights where I can't remember if I saw it or not - i remember them fighting but was it this one or the second one? I think i remember the palm trees. Anway, it's four-zip so where does the split come from? I admire Rivera's plan and style i think he was coming on until he got cut there, but four rounds?? Against Whitaker?? He'd need to show dominance to make controversy now.

Double right hand to open is nice; and Letterman gave Rivera the fourth so maybe i'm being a little hard on him. I don't give Rivera a round until the sixth; that right hand is present again, and he's flurryin to the body. A wonderful choppinig right half way through the round has Whitaker clowning. Good round of boxing. He edges in and then when Whitaker pounces it's the right to the body that he wants.

The fight has become very messy. Whitaker has managed to close the distance tactically but it's messy in there. Double right-hand left to the body from Rivera! He has Whitaker upset and is moving him back without affording an obvious punching opportunity. Rivera is rolling.

There's the right-hand to the body again, but Rivera is also happily doubling up the right to teh head which must be an amazing feeling when you reliase you can land that combo on Whitaker...Whitaker is doing more punching in this round though and it could be scored either way. I gave it to Rivera and i think he was a tiny bit busier in the tenth too - all square after ten.

Rivera has taken out the Whitaker sting with that right hand to the body, with aggression, with size. Whitaker is aggressive in eleven though and Rivera might give this away late on my card if he doesn't maintain his poise...which he does, I have the eleventh up for grabs in the final minute - Rivera edged it and I have him leading going into the twelfth.

Very brave last round from Rivera. He wins with the right hand out of the southpaw stance. Whitaker looks old. Rivera is swinging now. I have Rivera winning the second half of the fight in its entirety to take the fight 7-5. Ninth could have gone to Whitaker, fourth could have gone to Rivera. So I could see a draw but I'm not sure about this win for Whitaker if i'm honest. Stories that Whitaker may not have trained probably abound but what a performance from Rivera, brilliant.

WHITAKER:1,2,3,4,5,
RIVERA:6,7,8,9,10,11,12.

 

Luis Manuel Rodriguez UD10 Luis Federico Thompson

In reality, Thompson had started to slip a bit by this point, his title shot, a loss to Benny Parret behind him, losing to Ted Wright the year before and losing to **** Turner immediately after.

But it's probably Rodriguez's best result at what was arguably welterweight (150lbs) outside of series in which he lost, so it's an important fight for him.

Two really nice left hands on display. Thompson is moving beautifully and his form is making that jab look really really long. Rodriguez looks a little uncomfortable with that in the opening trying ot maintain distance but when he does close he lands a lovely right hand; Thompson makes him miss a jab though and then hits him to the body while Rodriguez lets him come on after that and lands a great uppercut to the body. This is very fine stuff; Rodriguez hurts Thompson in the final twenty seconds with right hands to wini an excellent round. He probably nicked the second on activity too, but Thompson's defensive work and the lovely little spins he managed were impressive.

Beautiful mobility from Rodriguez, really moving about nicely. High-energy way to do it but it let's him be the general against a veteran. He's also countering very well and flurrying nice points-gathering punches to the body whenever the opportunity presents itself. Hard punching from the ropes to the middle as the round closes down and he wins that too. This is a performance of all styles.

Rodriguez really keeps a guy guessing. Will he box and move? Will he stop and fight? Will he jab or chose another punch? When he jabs, will he look for anything behind it or wait? He's a very good body puncher who backs himself in all other departments. Extremely hard to fight. It's fascinating as a passing of the torch fight, too one-sided to be really interesting but all the rounds close enough to fascinate.

I think Thompson does enough to smother Rodriguez and lands enough of his own shots to take the sixth though.

Thompson has a wonderful defence inside, leaning away from his man's centre, covering up the midriff with those long forearms but Rodriguez is just ourworking him. That's the real difference, energy and engine. But when ROdriguez comes up top after attacking the mid-section he mostly misses until the seventh when he starts to land those punches. Thompson is now giving ground; he's been hurt by one of these shots.

Jesus Christ there are a lot of punches thrown in this fight. Thank god it isn't close. IF scoring this really mattered in these late rounds, it would be stressful.

RODRIGUEZ:1,2,3,4,5,7,9,10
THOMPSON:6,8,

 

Emile Griffith SD 15 Luis Manuel Rodriguez June 1963

Tense first round with Rodriguez counter-punching his way to the round off his tight circle with a very occasional change of direction (perhaps just one then back the way) tossed in. Dangerous game to play though, one punch counters while your opponent establishes his jab, which Griffith does with a left hand to the belly. Probably that rare jab and a right hand to the body make the difference for Griffith in 2.

They settle a bit in three - Rodriguez looks looser, Griffith looks fast and sharpa nd takes the round with a rushing attack near his corner. Not much happens, but not much happens throughout the round.

Absorbing, not a great fight. Griffith finds his right-hand in round five though and lands that punch hard several times. He also does OK landing the jab, landing a double at one point. It's an interesting balance between his method and Rodriguez's variety. But because there is so much uncertainty one action can win the round. This occurs in the sixth when Rodriguez flurries the body in his fashion.

Finally someone takes control of a round, the seventh, owned by Rodriguez despite Griffith's aggression to a take the lead for the first time on my card. He does it by couter-punching and by introducing his own jab for the first time as a weapon. What horrifies about Rodriguez is that he's a sharpshooter and a swarmer, both shows both just in horrible little glimpses. The eighth exemplifies that. He finds moments to accurately sharpshoot and moments to land volume to the mid-section.

The tenth round is a key round. Griffith lands several hard right hands but Rodriguez just keeps working, he works in earnest for the first time with that lovely engine. How did Cokes ever out-engine him? Anyway, it's that volume body attack, not particularly pretty, that gets Rodriguez the round on my card and I'll bet this is one that went astray and was scored all kinds of strange weird ways. I very nearly scored it even myself. Anyway, winning the tenth gives Rodriguez a 6-4 lead which is a handy lead at this point. Winning three of the last five is not enough if he loses the other two. He does take an entertaining eleventh though, ironically by out-working Rodriguez to the body. These two are evenly matched and a series was always going to be controversial. Twelfth is a huge round. I got Griffith landing fewer but better. So the championship rounds will decide it for me.

Worse, I have Griffith evening up the thirteenth minute with a really nice left hook in the closing seconds of the thirteenth; this now has draw written all over it.

But in fact, I have it to Rodriguez by a round. This is because I couldn't split them in the final round. This surprised me because i seem to remember Griffith finishing strong but it was not so. Rodriguez shades it 7-6-2 on my card. Nothing wrong for a card for Griffith though in my opinion.

GRIFFITH:2,3,6,9,11,12,
RODRIGUEZ:1,4,5,7,8,10,14,
EVEN:13,15

7-6-2 Rodriguez